Fate Beckons
by celste
Summary: *Finally finished* What does the future hold for Aoshi and Misao? Pls R&R (hope the ending isn't too corny)
1. Wish Upon A Star

Fate Beckons 

A fanfic by celste

Alternate Universe, mostly Aoshi and Misao

The usual disclaimers…the lives of the characters are NOT wholly based on anyone in real life, at least not intentionally.

What if Aoshi and Misao (and the Kenshin Gumi) lived in Singapore? Sorry, as I'm Singaporean I thought I'd start with a familiar setting…And I'm almost 3 years away from the O' levels

Chapter 1: Wish Upon A Star

A new school year. And the most stressful one in her Secondary school life. Makimachi Misao sighed as she stepped, once more, into the hall of her school. There were some new faces in every level. As for the secondary ones, almost every single one of them was new to the school.

She was almost sixteen and sitting for her O' levels that year. With the thought of that, her chest tightened. True, it was about 11 months away. _But time passes so fast doesn't it?_ She reminded herself. After all, four years ago, she, too, had stepped into this very same school, wide eyed and fearful. A girls' school was unfamiliar ground to her, much less a top school where she would have more competition…where it would not be so easy to be the best all the time…where there were no guys to have fun and joke around with. Her classmates had seemed so studious most of the time and she was aching for all the practical jokes her male friends and she played all the time, back in primary school…

Primary school…it reminded her of him, her senior. She wondered what he was doing then…she was eight and he was twelve, four years older and her senior in school then. Their parents were college friends and had only regained contact during a class reunion. On one of their outings, they had brought their children along. That was when Misao got to know their son, Shinomori Aoshi.

Some call it puppy love, others call it a crush, and yet others may call it love at first sight. But one look into those grayish eyes and Misao had a feeling that her fate was entwined with his, somehow. There was a strange attachment to him she could not explain. After Aoshi graduated from primary school that year, she did not get to see him any more as he was always too busy, too busy to go along on outings with his parents. Later on, as most teens do, he just stopped hanging out with his parents and more with his friends. The last Misao had heard of him, he was doing his national service.

"Misao!" A familiar voice broke into her thoughts. Her best friend, Kaoru, was calling to her from where she was seated. "It's great isn't it? We're in the same class again!" Misao could not agree more. Ever since she had met Kaoru in their first year, they had been best friends—inseparable. Somehow, they had managed to stay in the same class for all four years.

"Who do you think our form teacher is?" Misao asked. "The Gwee? Better not! I heard that she's a real…tiger! You know, the little girl with her curl in the middle of her forehead in the nursery rhyme? She's exactly like her-when she's nice, she's very, very nice; but when she's angry, she can be a monster!"

The two girls chatted excitedly for a while, until the discipline mistress picked up the microphone. The whole hall grew quiet as the customary welcome-back to school speech was made. Listening but not really paying attention(how could she? She had heard practically the same speech every year!), Misao's thoughts began to wander to the boy(now man) whom she had reserved a place in her heart for. 

_Aoshi…Aoshi…_Even as Misao wet her rag under the tap, she still could not stop thinking about him. 

"Misao! Are you listening or not!" Misao turned her head to meet Kaoru's angry eyes. "I've been trying to get to you for the last 5 minutes!"

"Oops, sorry, I was thinking about something else," Misao apologized. She sighed. "It's so unfair. The weekend before school is _really_ supposed to start, we have to come back to clean the classrooms. As if we didn't clean them on the last day!" [Okay, some of you should already have guessed which school I go to, I think.] She wrung the rag dry so that the water would not drip all the way back to the classroom. "But I think it helps us to feel like we actually belong."

"I guess so," Kaoru sighed. "I wonder which other school makes their pupils do this…" Misao, too, wondered…how was Aoshi doing in NS? Would he be wringing rags too? Or trying to clean the floor with a toothbrush? She giggled at the thought. Her father had told her what sergeants could make National Servicemen do. Right now, his hair would be in a crew cut…did he have a girlfriend? The painful possibility cut into her heart.

"What's wrong with you?" Kaoru asked. "I mean, I know you often smile or laugh without reason, but you are very spaced out today!"

"What lah! Daydream also cannot meh!"[I'll be injecting Singlish into speech sometimes, but when it gets too un-understandable for those of you from other countries, I'll add an explanation] Misao pretended to pout. They stepped into the classroom…and their mouths dropped open. The form teacher was in the class and--

"Oh, good morning Mr. Chandra," Misao managed to keep herself from laughing out loud. _I can't believe it, I have the same form teacher as I did in Secondary One!_

"Good morning girls," Mr. Chandra nodded his head in reply. The two girls muffled their giggles as they ran back to their desks.

"He really looks like he wears curtains for shirts, doesn't he?" The girl sitting in front of Misao, Cathy, laughed.

"Yeah, I bet he cuts them and sews them into shirts," Misao agreed. She had been the first one to comment, 3 years ago, that Mr. Chandra wore curtains for shirts. "Somewhere must be missing a lot of curtains!" She began wiping her table, where a thin layer of dust had collected. _I wonder if Aoshi even remembers me…and I do hope he doesn't have a girlfriend!_

He had been constantly on her mind. True, she had had a few crushes, but they never lasted long. Whenever she thought of Aoshi, those now seemingly immature boys could never compare. She wondered if it was true love. After all, crushes never last long do they? However, the truth was that it had been eight years since she last saw him. She had changed…and he probably had too. She wondered if she would still like him if they were reunited.

_Well, I'll have to meet him again before I decide, right? But how?_ She sighed again. _Unless…by some miracle or other he decides to tag along during an outing together or something…I wish that happens but it's kind of impossible isn't it? He's got his own life now._

Unknown to her, there was magic in the air that day, and although it was broad daylight, a star twinkled for a moment in the bright blue sky.

Tbc…

Author's notes: 

1.4.2002 

(No April Fool joke!) I've changed all the "Xiao Xun"s to "Kaoru" so as to make things less confusing! 

C & C's appreciated as this is my 1st fic!


	2. A Wish Granted

Fate Beckons 

Disclaimers apply 

Chapter 2 : A Wish Granted 

"Mum, I'm home!" Misao locked the door of the flat behind her and took her knapsack into her room. After school (or rather, cleaning up) had ended, she and Kaoru had gone to a nearby shopping mall— for nothing much, just to look around and perhaps get some new clothing for the upcoming Chinese New Year. It was the sale season after all!

"Misao?" Mrs. Makimachi walked from the study, where she had been doing her work, into the room. Misao looked up from the manga she had just picked up.

"Huh?"

"I'd just like to tell you that we'll be spending a day with the Shinomoris tomorrow," Mrs Makimachi smiled knowingly. "Aoshi included."Misao's heart seemed to stop. Aoshi as well? Blood rose up to her cheeks. It would be the first time they saw each other in so many years, and she knew she had changed a lot since then. She wondered if he would even recognize her…and somehow, she was nervous but also happy. Another realization then surfaced.

_So my wish did come true…_ A soft smile lighted up her face as she hugged the manga to her chest. Mrs Makimachi smiled and left the room. 

************************************************* 

Somewhere else… 

"Aoshi, you really have to go this time. I promised the Makimachis!" Shinomori Reiko glared at her son, holding a spatula threateningly. Aoshi continued reading. 

"Are you listening to me or not?" Mrs. Shinomori slammed the spatula down onto the nearby table. Aoshi finally looked up. 

"Okaasan, you've never been so adamant about me tagging along before. What's the occasion?" 

"We haven't seen the Makimachis for a long time…" 

"Ah.." 

"Misao's all grown up" 

"Sou da [Japanese for "So it is" I'll explain why he uses it later in the fic]"

"We all have some catching up to do…I'm sure Misao's definitely grown into a fine young lady." 

"Probably." There was something incomprehensible in his eyes all of a sudden. A slight softening…?! Mrs. Shinomori took in the fact with internal delight. 

"So you do want to find out how much our little Misao has grown," she teased, eliciting a slight smile from Aoshi. 

"I'll go. After all, if I put this off, they won't recognize me anymore." 

Mrs. Shinomori grinned. Finally, her son was cheering up. He had withdrawn himself into solitude for the past week that he had been home, withholding the reason from even his parents. **My plan is a potential success, **she thought gleefully. 

"Hello? Miyako? Suteki [Wonderful] ne…" Aoshi looked up from his book to find his mother on the telephone, speaking in rapid fire Japanese. It was not his character to eavesdrop but he could not help listening in to every word. After all, he could understand it.

"Aoshi has agreed to go… glad to know that Misao was elated when she heard the news…Hai, our plan seems to be working…your husband knows doesn't he?" It was enough to make Aoshi's eyes narrow in suspicion. Something fishy was going on and he wondered what it had to do with him and Misao. 

"Atchoo!" At the very moment her mother was telling Mrs. Shinomori how delighted Misao was to find out that Aoshi would be going along with them, Misao sneezed in her room. Reaching for a piece of tissue paper, she wondered if she was coming down with a cold. No, it could not be…she knew that she was in perfect health—with all that running and swimming training! 

**If you sneeze suddenly, it means that someone is talking about you.** Misao abruptly remembered what she had read somewhere. **I wonder if it's Aoshi.** Her eyes glazed over as she began daydreaming about what Aoshi could be saying about her. 

Resting her head onto her pillow but still unable to sleep, she got up, opened her drawer, and took out a thick, hardcover exercise book—her journal which contained her best memories ever since she was six, especially those of Aoshi. Smiling, she began to read, reliving every moment of days gone by. 

"16 July 1992—Dear Diary, guess what? Aoshi taught me how to make paper cranes today and gave me one—I put it in here, look! I'm going to keep it forever and ever even after I grow old…" She smiled as a paper crane fell out from between the pages, its red coloring faded by time but still intact. 

"20 March 1993—We went to Fantasy Island and Aoshi taught me how to swim. I was scared stiff of the water but he held me tight and promised he wouldn't let me drown." 

Misao continued reading, even as the entries got longer, the thoughts and expressions more mature, and the love divulged stronger. Every entry from her childhood was littered with Aoshi's name, with a few exceptions. It was strange that she never had any other crushes beside Aoshi. 

Time flew by and Misao's eyelids grew heavy. Switching off the reading light, she fell asleep smiling, the journal—opened to a photo taken years before of Aoshi and her together, grinning happily—resting on her heart. 

Notes: 20/4/2002--The character of Shinomori Reiko/ Mrs. Shinomori is partly based on 'Mama' from the manga 'Itazura na Kiss'. It's my favourite next to RK, it's a pity the artist passed away before the series was completed...thank you Tada Kaoru-sensei for drawing that series and giving me inspiration...

Tbc…


	3. Dreams of the Past(1)

Fate Beckons

Disclaimers STILL apply

Angst and violence warning! 

Chapter 3: Dreams Of the Past (1) 

*Begin Dream* 

_"Aoshi-sama!" Misao yelled, flinging herself at her beloved playmate and okashira. "I was so afraid when I couldn't find you just now. Don't ever leave me again!"_

_A sixteen year old Aoshi, still drenched in sweat and blood from a just-completed mission, managed a tired grin as he picked Misao up and wiped her tears away. "I still have to sometimes, ne? Besides, you'd be pretty sick of me if I were with you all the time."_

_Misao, cocking her head and appearing cute, pondered for a few seconds. "I guess that's true but I'll never be sick of Aoshi-sama."_

_"Never?" Aoshi mustered a grin._

_"Never never never never ever in my entire life!"_

_Aoshi sighed inwardly. "I'll never leave you alone forever, Misao," he promised, wondering if she would catch the implied meaning. "If you'll promise never to cry for me again."_

_Misao grinned, her tears long dried. "Hai, never!"_

_Then, there was a flash. An older Misao looked fearfully into Aoshi's eyes. The settings had changed—they were in a forest, bodies sweat and blood ridden. Numerous corpses lay in the dirt, mutilated or dismembered._

_His kodachi were blood-stained. A gaping wound had opened in his shoulder where a sword had slashed him. They were outnumbered. There had been a traitor who had given them false information and lured them into the forest._

_Aoshi shot Misao a look and the final battle began. Blood rained and the swish of swords and kunai being thrown were all that could be heard, among the groans and cries of the wounded and dying._

_And suddenly, they were lying on the ground in each other's arms, too severely wounded to continue fighting. It had been worth it—everyone in the rival ninja group had been wounded if they were not already dead. The traitor lay some distance from them, head nearly severed from body. But they knew they would not live for long themselves. The poison they had been fed was taking effect._

_A tear ran down Misao's face, and Aoshi gently, albeit weakly, lifted a hand to wipe it away. "You promised me never to cry for me, Misao."_

_ Misao managed to force a smile. "At least we've done our best. The Oniwabanshuu is safe…"_

_Aoshi pulled her closer to him. "One thing I regret is not marrying you before this mess, Misao. Now I'll never have a chance to…not in this life."_

_"Then promise you'll marry me in our next life."_

_"If fate allows us to meet again, I will…and I'll never leave you again."_

_"Just like you promised all those years ago?"_

_"Yes. And we'll never be separated again."_

_The wind blew their words to the heavens as the rain beat down, washing the blood from two lifeless bodies entwined in an eternal embrace._

*End Dream*

Misao woke up with a start. **What kind of dream was that? But it was so vivid.** The sky was still dark, so she stole a look at the watch lying beside her bed. "3 am? This is a little crazy isn't it?" She still could not forget the vivid dream she just had, however, and somehow, felt that there was a hidden meaning to it. Walking to the window, she stared at the sole star shining brightly in the dark sky. **But what is it?**

Aoshi sat up abruptly, awakened from the same dream that Misao had had. The blood, emotions…everything had seemed so real, as if it had really happened. But it had not…right? If it had, he would not be alive and lying there on his comfortable bed. Besides, Misao had been there—which would not have been so if the dream had been real. There was one thing he had to admit though—she had looked so beautiful and been so brave in his dream. Could that be what she had grown into?

He stared at the star in the sky, searching for an answer.

Tbc…

Notes: Hope it wasn't too corny or anything—I didn't really want to kill off A&M in the dream! C&C o kudasai!


	4. Reunion

Fate Beckons 

Chapter 4: Reunion 

Disclaimers apply. The train announcements belong to SMRT…believe me, I listen to them everyday, it kind of sticks in your mind after a while. 

Sitting in the MRT on her way to Orchard where they would meet the Shinomoris, Misao had never felt more nervous. She knew she looked good—guys kept shooting glances in her direction. However, she had butterflies in her stomach…people changed over time and she had known a few who had changed too much. Leaning against the partition, she sighed inwardly. 

"This train goes to Boon Lay. Next stop, City Hall Interchange. Passengers going towards Woodlands and Yishun, please cross the platform and transfer to another train." The mechanical voice announced over the speakers. After a while… "City Hall Interchange." 

A large crowd, Misao and her parents included, filtered out as the doors opened slowly. Walking toward the opposite platform, Misao stole a look at the display, which counted down to the next train. 3 minutes. If she had been going to school, she would have been impatient—every minute counted. Even a minute would determine the difference between being "Late" and "Punctual" for school. Right then, however, she was torn between wanting to be late for the meeting( so that she would have time to calm down before feeling nervous in front of the Shinomoris) and early (so that her fears that Aoshi had changed beyond her liking would be proved to be wrong sooner). 

She stared at her spookily translucent reflection in the glass sliding doors of the platform, which separated her from the dirty brown walls and tracks. Her heart thumped in her chest. Suddenly, she glimpsed another silhouette in the glass—no, two familiar figures and a third not-so-recognizable one. Before they registered in her mind, the 2 people whom the familiar silhouettes belonged to were exchanging greetings with her parents. She spun around in surprise and curiosity. 

"Oh, look, this must be Misao!" Mrs Shinomori took a step toward her. "How old is she, Miyako? Sixteen, right?" Mrs. Makimachi nodded, smiling. 

"She's grown so beautiful I can hardly recognize her," Mrs. Shinomori continued, causing Misao to blush redder than her scarf. "Secondary Four, right? Which school is she in?" 

"St Nicks'", Misao whispered shyly. [Should I use that or a fictional name?] This elicited a squeal so loud that the other waiting passengers on the platform turned to stare. Ignoring that, Mrs. Shinomori began praising the school and Misao(for doing well enough to get into it), albeit in a quieter voice. [It's happened to me! Kinda hao lian of me to put that in you know but not all people from the top schools like everyone to know what school they're from—kinda puts pressure on us to behave well etc especially when your school has "spies all over the place"] 

Mr. Shinomori and Makimachi joined them then. "We know—Misao has improved her behavior ever since she got into that school," Mr. Makimachi added, ignoring the murderous glare his daughter shot him. 

Suddenly, Misao's eyes rested on a tall, muscular young man who was leaning against a pillar; intense eyes a calm bluish gray. His hair had been shaved into the mandatory(for NSmen) but was beginning to grow back. He was still familiar to her although he had changed so much. 

As though she had read Misao's thoughts, Mrs. Shinomori shot Aoshi a look that nobody else noticed. Aoshi straightened up immediately and began walking toward them, looking like he would rather not be there. 

"You remember each other right?" she asked them. Misao nodded. 

"Hi, Misao," Aoshi said in his deep, sexy voice, which sent shivers of nervousness through her. She managed to compose herself, forcing her fear deep inside where it could not be felt. But somehow, she still stammered, which was rather unnatural for her. 

"H-hi A-aoshi. It's good to see you again." Her voice came out lower than it's normal pitch. 

She had never felt so shy in her life. True, they had been friends and playmates, but that was ages ago. And Aoshi had never known how Misao felt about him. 

The train arrived and saved Misao's day. 

By the time they reached Orchard, Misao had (thankfully) calmed down a considerable bit. She was joking with all the rest again, being the lively girl she was. Aoshi, however, remained quiet—a far cry from his past behavior. Whenever Misao glanced at him, there seemed to be an odd sadness around him, which he appeared to be trying to hide. She wondered why, but also knew that she could not force it out of him if he did not want to tell her. 

Telling funny stories about her school life seemed to captivate her audience, therefore she went on. Even Aoshi smiled occasionally, though it was hardly noticeable to anyone who was not looking closely. 

"Yeah, and right after the false alarm, my Sec 2 Geography teacher told us about how she accidentally set off the fire alarm in her hostel overseas when she decided to burn some waste paper," Misao related animatedly. " My whole class was like, 'Where got any so stupid, burn paper in the hostel." [Translation: Is there anyone so stupid that she will burn paper in the hostel?] "We really hated her then, and we were so glad she wasn't teaching the upper secondary, otherwise they would probably fail their Os. But we were very upset about having her as our geography teacher as well—she didn't even bother to make lessons fun. I'm glad I don't have her now." 

"So which was worse, a geography teacher which eats soil or one which nearly fell into horse manure?" Aoshi asked. Misao blushed a little, but soon regained her composure. "Well, the one who nearly fell into horse manure. No one sensible stands right behind a horse lest you get kicked." 

By then, they had reached Pizza Hut, where they had decided to have lunch in. Their parents took four seats next to each other, forcing Misao and Aoshi to sit beside each other. Misao fumed and shot icy looks at them, but inwardly she was pleased. 

Crossing her legs demurely, she picked up the menu from the table in a graceful motion, hoping to leave a good "second impression" on Aoshi. Her efforts came to naught as when she turned to him, he had already begun to read the menu. Frowning, she reached for the glass of iced water in front of her and jerked it toward herself with so much force that some water spilled out of it onto the table. Unfortunately, it was right at that moment that Aoshi looked up. 

"My, still as cho lor [Hokkien (?) for rough, clumsy] as you used to be, aren't you Misao?" He teased, his eyes actually sparking for the first time that day, although there was still something deep and incomprehensible in them. 

Misao pouted. "I'm not!" She slammed the glass back onto the table, which only resulted in Aoshi's widening grin. 

"You have to learn not to contradict yourself." With that, he turned back to the menu, oblivious to Misao fuming at him. 

"Well, looks like someone has not completely learned to control her temper," Mr Shinomori laughed. Misao turned red. 

"Oh, just give her time, James. Sometimes you can't help but to explode, right, Misao?" Mrs. Shinomori gave her a knowing wink. 

"With that kind of temper, I wonder if I'll ever be able to marry her off in the future," Mr Makimachi joked. "No man loves a hotheaded wife or wants to be a hen-pecked husband." 

"Well, opposites do attract," Mrs. Makimachi looked at the Shinomori couple, a real-life example. Mrs. Shinomori caught her eye and shot her a wink, which Misao saw, and almost immediately became curious about. _What are they up to? _

tbc…… 

Notes: Sorry for that lousy chapter before this, I really didn't know what to write. In response to some of your remarks, I'll try to make my chapters longer. 

If I ever get too carried away bragging about this and that, put me down to earth ok? I'll try not to blow my own trumpet… 

Just wondering…what will Kenshin be like as a drill sergeant? Hehehe…(evil look). 

Sorry for the OOCness, I can't capture characters as well as some other fanfic writers but I'll try ok? 


	5. Reconnecting

Fate Beckons

Chapter 5: Reconnecting 

Disclaimers apply as usual. 

After an uneventful lunch, the two families decided to walk around Orchard Road again. The fact that their parents kept behind Misao and Aoshi all the time, again causing them to walk together, fed Misao's suspicions that the 'reunion' outing was more than just a reunion. It was beginning to look more and more like a covert matchmaking operation. Summoning her courage, she decided to make the best of it and turned to look at Aoshi, who was literally head and shoulders above her.

"So, you're doing NS right? What's it like? Is it very tough?"

"No to me but it is for some others."

"Really? You must be very fit then." **Misao, what on earth are you saying?** she chided herself. Aoshi did not seem to notice what she had said and continued walking, taking long, confident strides. Misao's heart began to ache. Everyone always ignored her when she wanted to be listened to! It took much effort to control her anger. 

**Never mind, try again,**her mind told her. She skipped up to him and asked again in a cheerful voice, "Don't you ever smile nowadays?" 

Aoshi turned to look into her clear blue eyes. A cold draft blew through her again. **Why does he seem so pained?**

"One can choose whether to smile or not." Again, he was the Aoshi who was wise beyond his years that she knew. But somehow, the words were too subdued and depressing to be the boy she knew all those years ago. When she looked at him again, his face appeared to be a mask—a mask to hide his genuine feelings. And the more she looked into his bluish-gray eyes, the more she felt she could feel his pain, everything. It was as if they had an affinity that went back beyond their present lives. 

Begin memory 

_"Aoshi-kor[older brother, like nii-chan], what are you doing?" five year old Misao asked, looking over his shoulder. _

_"My journal—it's homework," Aoshi replied, looking up. _

_"What's a journal?" _

_"It's like a diary where you write in your feelings and stuff," he replied, turning back to his homework. _

_Misao tried to peep over his shoulder, but he closed the exercise book swiftly. "Everyone has secrets they don't want others to know," he told her, smiling. "But I guess it will be a while before you learn that." Misao pouted, walking back to her story book. Then she suddenly turned back, a devious smile on her face. _

_"But Aoshi-kor, I'll know what you're thinking even if you don't tell me!" _

_Nine year old Aoshi grinned mysteriously. "No you won't." _

End memory 

"OW!" Coming down to earth after recalling that precious childhood memory, Misao saw the lamp post in front of her way too late. She lifted her hands to her forehead, only to feel a gigantic goose egg on it. **That must be standing out like a stop sign!** In front of her, Aoshi was smirking. 

**That infuriating guy! **Misao glared angrily at him. **Why does he only laugh at my expense? **Her silent curses at him came to a sudden stop when she felt a gentle hand brush her forehead. "It doesn't hurt that much, does it?" She looked into his deep eyes again, surprised and touched. He lifted his hand away. "I suggest that you don't daydream and walk at the same time again." He turned away again, much to Misao's annoyance. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, storming up to him. 

"What I do is none of your business!" The crowd that had gathered at the pedestrian crossing, waiting for the green light, turned their heads in surprise. 

"They make a cute couple don't they?" A woman whispered to her husband, who shushed her. Of course, Misao was delighted internally, but still annoyed with Aoshi's unpredictable actions. One moment, it was as if he had become the Aoshi of eight years ago again—tactful, energetic and sweet; another moment, he had slipped into his own world of ice and melancholy, and the next moment, he would be laughing—at her expense! 

She bumped right into him. He steadied her, then let her go awkwardly. "Little Weasel, I thought I told you to look where you're going?" 

Fire seemed to flare in Misao's eyes. "I was looking where I was going! And DON'T CALL ME WEASEL!"

"Still as fiery," he teased. Misao fumed, oblivious to his softening gaze. By then, their parents had caught up with them. 

"We hope you had a good time catching up," Mrs. Shinomori grinned. "It's been a long while since you last saw each other isn't it?" Misao detected a glint in her eyes that made her feel more suspicious than ever. Before she could reply, however, the pedestrian crossing man turned from red to green, and they started crossing the road. It was not long before Misao realized that she and Aoshi had been separated (again) from their parents—and that she had run out of topics to talk about.

The atmosphere was getting a little uncomfortable. Aoshi, silent as usual, strode beside her. Misao racked her brains, trying to think of anything—anything she could talk about, but came up with a blank. Until… 

"I had the strangest dream last night, Aoshi-kor." **Idiot! He won't want to hear about a dream!**

"Aah." 

"I dreamt that I was little and you came back drenched with sweat and blood and I made you promise never to leave me. You did so but not before _you _made me promise never to cry for you." 

Aoshi's eyes widened slightly and he started, but not enough for Misao to notice anything other than that he was getting interested. 

"Then, I dreamt that I was much older and the two of us were fighting a gang in a forest—" she was abruptly interrupted by Aoshi. 

"And we put up a good fight but were poisoned, severely wounded and died in each other's arms after making a promise that if we met again in our next lives we would marry and never be separated again?" 

Misao blushed and nodded. **Can he actually read minds? "**How did you know?" 

"I actually had the same dream, believe it or not?" 

"Really? But how can this be?" 

"I don't know. But a friend once told me that some dreams have hidden meanings. I wonder if it's one of those." 

"I had a feeling about that too. But why would the both of us dream about that? Maybe it's a memory of a past life." Again, Misao blushed. If it had been so…then did it necessarily mean that Aoshi would marry her in the future just like he had promised? 

"Not necessarily. It could be a mere coincidence you know." Aoshi turned his head toward the front again, indicating that he wanted no more mention of the subject. 

Misao was still unconvinced that their dreams were mere coincidences though. She kept speculating about it throughout the day. 

Tbc 

Notes: I've tried to make this section longer. A friend told me that people would probably not want to read a story set in an unfamiliar place so I've decided to concentrate much more on the romance (It is the main point that A & M are in here for, right?) But I'd also like to admit that 1. I am exactly 14 years old and am 2 years away from the O' levels so I don't really know what's going on upstairs where most of the Sec 4 classes are and 2. I have no romance or dating experience unless you count major crushes which didn't end well...so what I write here may not be as realistic!


	6. Reawakening Feelings

Fate Beckons

Chapter 6: Reawakening Feelings

Disclaimers apply

Aoshi stared at Misao's retreating back. The day had gone by in a flash and he had discovered many new things about Misao. He had missed watching her grow up, and now he saw how much she had changed. Still as active and enthusiastic as ever, but more mature and graceful. She was still irascible (got angry easily--I learnt this word during English lessons) but much less than before. Also--did he dare say it?--she **had** grown prettier.

He recalled what Misao had told him--about her dream. Contrary to what he had told her, he had begun to wonder if Fate was really trying to send them a message. When he had first met Misao more than 10 years ago, he had felt as though he had known her long ago.

---------------

Begin memory

An image of a chibi Misao flashed through his mind. She was 2 years old and sitting on a swing, her mother beside her. His own mother placed a hand on his shoulder, guiding him towards them.

Misao grinned when she saw them. Tumbling down from the swing, she toddled over to Aoshi and kissed him on the cheek--a kiss so chaste and pure. She then smiled her innocent smile at him, and the longer they stood there, looking each other in wonder, the stronger the feeling of deja vu grew.

"You are my friend." The halting words of a child who had just learnt how to speak. But it was so sincere and touching he could not help but oblige. Looking into her clear blue eyes, he mustered all the strength in his seven year old body to pick her up and carry her. Around them their parents were grinning.

"Call your Aoshi-kor," one of Misao's aunts told her. Another toothy grin.

"Aoshi-kor!"

"Aoshi, ii nii-chan tte nakereba naranai no,"[ Aoshi, you'd must be a good "older brother"](I don't know if it's correct, so correct me if it isn't please!) his mother told him.

"Hai, okaachan!" Turning to Misao, he grinned. "Come on, Misao, asonde kimashou!" [Let's go and play]

End memory

-----------------

A smile had slowly widened on Aoshi's face as he relived the memory. So much had happened since that...so many things had changed. And he was not as innocent as he used to be.

"Hannya...Beshimi...Shikijou...Hyottoko..." he murmured aloud as he thought about how he had caused the deaths of his four best friends. They had gone to school and into National Service together, and been almost like blood brothers‚ going through thick and thin together(tong2gan1gong4ku3).

The events flashed back to him, like an annoying advertisement between a good show. The training in Taiwan...the drug peddlers they had tried to stop...the flash of a pistol...blood. The blood of his friends who tried to shield him. His eyes darkened as he sank into depression again. If Misao knew...she would not look upon him with those adoring eyes anymore. Those eyes would probably be filled with anger and hurt instead.

Those azure blue eyes...he remembered them, looking wonderingly as he introduced his four friends to Misao.

"Hannya, why do you wear a mask?" A question so innocent. All the rest knew that an accident had caused Hannya's face to be disfigured, but none knew how to explain it to the little five- year old live wire.( Just learnt about live wires and fuses during Science today!)

"So that I won't scare you," Hannya offered weakly and Misao had seemed to accept it. However, she had suddenly reached out and pulled his mask off a few moments later. Other children would have cried, screamed, perhaps even ran away--but Misao's lips just trembled slightly before reaching out to touch the horrifically disfigured face.

"I don't care what you look like, you don't scare me! You'll always be my friend just like Aoshi-kor." So it was that from then on, the five of them--Aoshi, Beshimi, Hannya, Shikijou and Hyottoko became Misao's bests friends and playmates, and sometimes, even protectors.

Misao turned, smiled and waved again, stopping in her tracks. "See you again soon!" She called out to the Shinomoris, before running to catch up with her parents, long hair in a ponytail flying behind her.

And Aoshi's heart went with her.

------------------------------------

Misao could not sleep.

It was already past midnight and everything was quiet--except for the occasional screeching of tires on the road outside. She would usually be asleep by then, but somehow she could not keep her eyes closed. Her mind kept replaying the far-away look that had been persistent in Aoshi's deep, bottomless eyes.

_It's as if he's in his own world--and has built an iron wall around it_. She wondered how she was going to break through those walls and really bring out the Aoshi she had known. He had been that that day, but with a reservedness that was just--not the Aoshi she knew. The old Aoshi was still in there, somewhere, and had shown himself through all the teasing...

_He seems so sad...and he's just so cold sometimes...like he's made of ice..._ She hugged her knees to her chest. Aoshi had not even laughed once the entire day--he just gave tiny, barely noticeable smirks! He was shutting them out from his world, not revealing his true feelings. Even when he teased her, it seemed to be only to hide what his heart felt. But why? The Aoshi she knew never hid what he really felt.

_Does he find me disgusting? Too childish?_ Idly, she picked up the two week month old newspaper that lay on her nearby desk. 

"_Four NSmen Shot Fatally In Taiwan,"_ she read, curiosity aroused. Why hadn't she noticed that article before? Then she suddenly remembered the reason--she had thought the headline uninteresting. Learning that Aoshi had just returned from Taiwan a fortnight ago had made the headline more interesting--especially as it included "NSmen". _Did Aoshi know about this?_ she wondered, scanning through the first paragraph. Then something caught her eye, and she re-read the paragraph more carefully

The words were clear, in black and white. But the world suddenly seemed to spin around her. _It can't be! Why didn't Aoshi tell me? Why didn't he say anything about it? What's he hiding from us?_ The questions whirled around in her head, a confusion of thoughts. The air was suddenly cold on her skin, her head faint with shock. And the tears began to flow.

Tbc...

Notes: It's like the past being replayed here... please R & R! Don't be shy lah...tell me what I can improve on.

© Evon (celste) 5. 3. 2002


	7. Dreams (Nightmares?) From the Past(2)

Fate Beckons

Chapter 7: Dreams (Nightmares?) From the Past(2)

Disclaimers apply

_She was running--running away from a truth she could not bear to accept._** No! Aoshi-sama would never be like that! Hannya and the others can't have died! Kaoru must be lying!**_ Yet, deep down, she could not dismiss it. But she needed proof that it was true. The thing was...she did not want to find it. It was hard to accept that her best friends were dead...and her beloved Aoshi had changed._

_She shut out everything, her legs like pistons, running nonstop mechanically. She heard nothing but the rhythmic thuds of her own feet on the ground. Unwilling to accept, uneager to dismiss, she could only run in search of the truth._

Misao's eyes fluttered open in a start. The sky was just beginning to brighten, she realised in shock. "Oh, no, I'm gonna be late for school!" It was only when she looked at the watch by her bed that she remembered it was a Sunday. [LOL, see what happens when you keep thinking about school?] Sighing, she collapsed onto her desk chair, grabbing the Math textbook that lay nearby. _Might as well get a head start now. _

The dream from the previous night came flooding back to her--as vivid as the one before. She was now more certain than ever that they had hidden meanings. Both involved Aoshi, and in both, she was a ninja girl. But what did Kaoru (who looked like her best friend as well as had the same name as her) have to do with it? And the little boy whom she just happened to know was named Yahiko?

------------------

_Blood. Not his, but still, blood. The roar of the Gatling gun ceased, into painful silence. And he realised he was alone, among his fallen comrades._ _He stood still for what seemed like hours, hoping that the nightmare would end, and the world as he knew it would return. But nothing changed._

_Misao. How would she feel if she had been there? Angry...upset...she wouldn't forgive him would she? He was alone now, and as darkness closed around him, he knew he had to avenge his friends and restore their honor, as well as his own. And there was only one way to do it. Kill Battousai._

_The scene changed. They were hiding from the drug peddlers--and had just been discovered. The enemy opened fire._

_"Duck!" He yelled to them, drawing the ornamental sword he carried--the only weapon he had with him. With skilled strokes, he tried to deflect the bullets. But they came too fast._

_The ringleader Guan Liu (Chinese for "Kanryuu") was laughing like crazy. He had gone insane. "Run, go on, run! Ni men ze xie gou shi bu ke neng ying guo wo de! [_You dogs can never beat me!]"

_His men drew out their rifles. And before Aoshi could stop his friends, they ran out in front of him._

_**"NOOOOOO!"** But the roaring staccato of the steady stream of bullets drowned out the man's tormented cry. Blood sprayed onto him, singeing the places where they landed with the pain of losing a friend. He collapsed onto his knees, too stunned to stand. _

_"Aoshi...you must live on...someone out there is waiting for you," Hannya rasped with his last breath. His eyes closed. With his words, Aoshi felt a sudden surge of power. Picking up the sword again, he whirled, oblivious to pain. The bullets stopped--the gangsters had run out of them. With a few swings, all the men lay dead._

_Staring at the bullet torn bodies of his four friends, Aoshi felt as if he had died as well. He lowered his head._

_"Aoshi..." A voice so familiar he just had to look up. The sight stunned him--Misao, as beautiful as ever, in a red Chinese wedding gown. She stepped toward him, demure and graceful. And he, comforted by her warmth, reached out for her. She lowered her eyes._

_The floor suddenly flooded with blood. Her eyes widened as she looked at the destruction around her--the bodies, the bullet holes, the blood--on his clothing, his skin, and all around the tumbledown hut. _

_"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep this from me?" She broke away from him._

_"Misao, wait!"_

_"We shouldn't keep secrets with each other. Don't I have a right to know?" her eyes filled with tears, running down and dissolving her perfectly applied makeup. She turned. "Until we learn to trust each other, goodbye Aoshi." She ran, wiping the tears away from her eyes._

_He tried to run after her, but his legs seemed to be cemented to the ground. He called out her name, but she did not stop._

_Then, Guan Liu suddenly stood up from among the dead, laughing maniacally. He recovered his gun and aimed it at Misao. Aoshi could only stare in horror, he was powerless to protect her._

"Noooo!" Sweating profusely, Aoshi sat up, heart pounding madly. The fear and helplessness he had felt in that...nightmare had been so vivid that he had almost thought it was real. It only reminded him of what would probably happen if he told Misao about what happened in Taiwan. It was a wonder she did not already know, but ignorance was bliss this time. Her tough, cheerful exterior hid a sensitive and sentimental soul--he did not want the bad news to affect her O' Levels.

**But you can't keep it from her forever.** True, but until she could take the trauma, he was going to. She would hate him for it; as children, it had been difficult to keep anything from her. **Hate me all you like, Misao. But it's all for your own good.**

The picture of her teary face from his dream returned to him. It always hurt him to see her so sad...her face was not meant for tears. he turned his head, looking at the picture of the both of them at Fantasy Island (the same one that Misao has) so long ago. The bright, happy smiles on both their faces...he had lost his smile and could not let Misao lose hers.

--------------

Her hand shaking, Misao picked up the phone. It was high time Aoshi told her the truth! She wanted to hear it from his mouth. He was NOT going to keep it from her forever and she bet he knew it as well.

**Get on with it, Misao. You have a right to know.** 9...she punched the first 3 digits, but replaced the phone, suddenly nervous. A deep breath, then, forcing herself not to stop, she dialed all eight digits, hoping she was not waking him up.

One ring...two...three...she was beginning to wonder if he even heard his hand phone, or if he was really asleep. But Aoshi was a characteristically early riser!

He finally answered on the tenth ring. "Hello?"

"Aoshi, this is Misao." Her voice sounded lower than usual...and more serious. "I need to talk to you about something.

Tbc...

I'll try to speed the story up...if my English teacher marked this, I'd fail Content! (LOL). Glad to know you ppl are reading my fic...thanks to all those who commented. C & Cs always welcome, after all that's how we improve ne minna-san?


	8. Confrontation

Fate Beckons

Chapter 8: Confrontation

Disclaimers apply (I'm sick of this, too, but just in case...)

Aoshi stiffened at her words. His worst nightmare could not be coming true. So she really knew...he took a deep breath. And another. And **yet** another.

"Um, Aoshi-kor, you are okay aren't you?" She sounded nervous, a little faint.

"Yes. Why?"

"You sounded like you got an asthma attack."

Pause. "No. I've never had asthma. What was that you wanted to talk to me about?"** Maybe it's just my imagination. Maybe it's something else. Whatever it is, the sooner it's over and done with, the better.**

"Umm...whydidn'tyoutelluswhathappenedtothem?" She wanted to yell and scream at him for keeping her in the dark, but the words all came out in a rush. A rush of emotions overcame her.

Another pause. **Why doesn't he reply?** She could not take it anymore, and her emotions swiftly burst out of her heart, like water bursting from an overflowing dam [why dam? Don't know, I guess I've been studying too much Geography!] "They were my friends too, don't I have the right to know? You never told us what really happened, I found out through the newspapers." Unable to take it anymore, she burst into tears.

"You didn't ask me." Misao practically blew up.

"Didn't ask you! That doesn't mean you didn't have to tell us!" Her sobbing alarmed Aoshi. Sighing inwardly, he took a deep breath.

**"**We can't control fate all the time, what's done cannot be undone. Don't blame yourself all the time!" She had seen through him again--was she psychic? "I just want to know what happened, please!"

Aoshi debated whether to tell or not. What was worse? To have her steaming mad and upset at him for keeping it from her, or never forgive him for his inability to protect their friends? He did not want to see (or hear, for that matter) her cry but...

He made his decision. "You're wrong, Misao. I was my fault. I could have protected them but I was helpless--in the end, they died in my place." He closed his eyes.

His voice was so thick with emotions that Misao wished she was right there beside him, to put his arms around him and comfort him, if he would not push her away.

"It's okay, Aoshi. I said before, nobody can control fate. At least now we know that they're up there, watching over us in heaven." A silent prayer. "They wouldn't want you to be like this, Aoshi. They'd want you to laugh and be carefree again, just like before. And so do I."

Aoshi wondered if she had changed that much through the years. Just yesterday, she had been a child, laughing and making people laugh. But right now, she had suddenly matured beyond her years...like a blossomed flower. It was a scary feeling--he had just realised that she was no longer a little girl but a young lady. Inside, he had known all along, but her behavior the day before (a little too cute) had made him reluctant to accept it--until now.

"You have grown," he unconsciously whispered out loud. "No longer the little girl I knew."

"Of course I have," she replied, mildly offended. "Or have you forgotten that I'm 16 this year, **Ao-chan?**" Aoshi cringed on hearing his childhood nickname.

"Your words...I guess you were right when you told me you knew what I was thinking." 

Misao blushed. "You still remember?"

"How can I forget? To know that someone can read your mind is a big shock especially if you already can't keep any secrets from her!" His tone was light. [Arrrrgh! I've been answering too many E. Lit questions on the tone of a poem!]

"I'm sorry! I know some of them weren't my business but..."

"My little KPO," he chuckled affectionately--the first Misao had heard from him in years. [KPO--a nosey person.] "Just don't prod too much--curiosity killed the cat but I'd say you were a little kitten."

"Hey!" Then, her tone softened. "Promise me you won't blame yourself anymore, Aoshi. There are people who care alot about you here. Live and let live, okay?"

Aoshi almost smiled. From the way she spoke, he practically knew who the 'people' who cared alot about him beside his parents and the Makimachi fuufu ( Japanese for husband and wife)--Misao herself.

After putting down the telephone, Misao heaved a sigh of relieve. Hopefully, she had not made _that_ much of a fool of herself! Thankfully, he did seem to have lightened up. It would take time for him to get over the trauma and move on, but she knew he would pick himself up and move on. **Just be strong, Aoshi, no matter what. **Smiling to herself, she added another thought**. And maybe someday you'll return your feelings for me.**

Tbc...

Okay, not much content right? Next up--Misao returns to school and Aoshi is about to finish NS. I am reading _Army Daze_ and doing lots of research on NS for this, knowing practically nuts about what goes on after Basic Military Training (sigh). No older brothers to ask too...I'm just taking it as researching for History in advance (you know? That 'Understanding the Past' textbook we Secondary 2s all have?). As always, R&R, I love reading comments. Constructive criticism welcome as well!


	9. Kenshin--the coach?!

Fate Beckons

Chapter 9: Back to Training--Kenshin the Coach?!

Disclaimers apply (now I'm really, really sick of this!)

Some craziness...Hiko, Sano, Megumi, Yahiko and Kenshin cameo!

" Eh, Chio Bu [pretty girl], wait for me later can?" Sanosuke grinned, towering over Misao who was warming up by the bleachers.

The pool was welcoming and clear, although the ground was still wet from the morning rain. Misao just wanted to dive in--and escape from the irritating Sano. He was new to the club--but he had been bugging her to go out with him for the past six months. So far, she had turned him down. True, he was cute, and other girls would die to be in her position--especially her friend Megumi who happened to be glaring at him at that moment.

She grinned to herself. As the rest had said, Sano and Hui quarreled 'like husband and wife'. She knew Megumi was interested but Sano...**Guess I'll just have to play matchmaker.**

"Actually, I have something on after training, so I have to rush home. Maybe Megumi will go with you instead." She barely caught the grateful look Megumi shot her.

Sano turned his pleading eyes to Megumi. "Please leh."

Megumi rolled her eyes. "With this slacker? Fat hope." But the smile on her face was obvious.

"Hey, what do you mean by slacker, _Hu Li Jing_? [Fox spirit, kitsune...]" Sano sputtered. Megumi stared daggers at him, but her smile grew wider--with one difference. Now it looked dangerous. 

"Will the two of you please stop quarrelling?" An unfamiliar, sort of high male voice asked. The three of them turned round. Standing behind them was a rather short man with long, bright red hair. There was a cross shaped scar on his left cheek. He wore a pink T-shirt and white shorts. 

"I," the new-comer stated, "am your new coach. Please call me Kenshin." 

Misao choked. Megumi's eyes grew wide open. 

"You? What happened to Uncle Hiko?" Sano (referring to their usual coach) wheezed, trying not to burst out laughing. Megumi and Misao sweatdropped. [Usually, we swimmers here call our coaches "Uncle".] 

As if in answer to his question, the coach walked up to them. 

"Kenshin here has decided to retire after a short stint as an NCO in the army. It is your blessing that he has decided to become your coach. After all, he was my um....best student." He grinned. Kenshin winced slightly. 

"I'll leave you to him now. Don't slack!" Somehow, Misao did not like the sound of that. 

"Okay." Kenshin cleared his throat. The three of them looked up in sudden attention. "For warmups, I would like you to run ten rounds around this compound." 

"What!!" Sano sputtered again. "Are you trying to kill us? Hiko usually makes us do only five!" 

"If you complain any more, I'm going to make you do double of that. Running helps you to swim faster. Now go!" 

"Anything you say, Kenshin. Hohoho," Megumi giggled, beginning to jog. Misao almost thought she saw fox ears pop up on her head. She blinked. The ears had disappeared. Maybe it was an illusion after all. Sighing, she began jogging. 

She was panting after five rounds. The seventh round, she wanted to faint. On the ninth round, she started to imagine Aoshi in front of her, urging her on, just like she always did whenever she was on the urge of giving up. She forced herself through the last round and promptly collapsed onto the floor, gasping. 

_Good work, Mi-chan._ The words echoed in her mind. Aoshi always told her that whenever she accomplished something. And she would always grin and hug him, so innocently. 

"Hey guys, what's up? Why are you all on the floor like that?" Misao opened her eyes barely enough to make out the spiky head of the youngest swimmer in the group: Mingshen Yahiko [fusion name!] who happened to be her friend Kaoru 's younger brother. 

Megumi moaned. "Kenshin..." It sounded more like an agonized grunt. 

"Huh? What? Genting?" Yahiko strained his ears to hear better. 

"You better stop talking or I'll kick you to Genting." Yahiko turned slowly, afraid to find out who (or what) was behind him. 

"Aaargh!" He yelled when Kenshin pulled his ears. 

"Why are you late? To make up for the--" Kenshin looked at his watch, " 1800 seconds you just wasted, I want you to do 1800m of butterfly later. Now, down 100!" 

"What the he--" 

"Little boys should be seen and not heard." 

"I. AM. NOT. A. LIT. TLE. BOY!" Yahiko shouted as he started doing the push ups (involuntarily because Sano was pushing him down, much like dribbling a basketball!). 

Kenshin turned back. "This is to prepare you for NS as well." Yahiko fumed. 

Needless to say, training that day was more strenuous than ever! Sano, Yahiko and Misao glared at and shook fists at Kenshin behind his back, while Megumi just looked smitten, trying to suck up to him (much to Sano's annoyance). It did not help that Kenshin seemed to have a split personality--one minute, he was extremely polite, another minute he was a tough drill sergeant, yelling out more torturous orders. 

Misao did not know how she managed to drag herself home. She thanked her teachers for not giving out homework that day...she was just dead tired. 

**To think I have to be stuck with him as a coach! And with Megumi acting like that, it's not going to help me match make her and Sano. Aoshi, if only you were here to advise me!**

tbc 

LOL...the Kenshin Gumi are in now--wait till you find out how Kenshin and Aoshi knew each other.(but then, you've probably guessed already). Kind of based Kenshin the NCO-coach and Yahiko on my own coach and this club team mate who always gets on his nerves... 

Rather OOC esp for A&M and Kenshin, I know. And of course there's a bit of K&K and S&M in this fic too (just wait and see minna san!) {Evil laugh} 

English teacher: "I told you to use proper English and cut down on the conversations! 

Celste(Evon) meekly: Sumimasen Tan sensei atashi wa shitakunakatta dakara! (Sorry Miss Tan, I don't want to do it! 

English teacher: WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? 

Class behind bursts into laughter. Celste blushes. 


	10. Ready..aim...

Fate Beckons

Chapter 10: Ready...aim...

Three months had passed. Life had pretty much settled albeit at a dizzying pace for Misao. The first term had ended with a big bang--a food fair!

She looked into the mirror one last time, eyes beaming. She and Aoshi had kept contact, but just as friends, although she wished it could be more than just that.

_"Now is not the time,"_ many people had told her._ "Concentrate on your O' levels and A' levels first._" But you can't let love go just because it "was not the right time"!

Aoshi had ROD-ed (finished his NS), and the Shinomoris had invited them to celebrate that Sunday. She was looking forward to it--after their reunion, she had seen Aoshi only once more--during Chinese New Year. He had not gotten over his guilt completely, she remembered disappointedly.

**What am I doing? Makimachi Misao, you should never, ever give up!** She chided herself. **If that's what I have to do, I'll guide him back from his guilt--whether he likes it or not.** A determined look filled her face.

-------

She had almost given up trying to engage Aoshi in conversation. Almost every question she asked met with a one word answer. He was worse than before! Gritting her teeth, she reminded herself not to give up.

"Look at me, Aoshi," she commanded. She had given up on the "kor" behind--hopefully he would realise that it meant that she did not want their relationship to be sibling-ly. If he noticed at all, that was.

"Huh?" he took his eyes away from the window. His eyes were so intense that Misao was stunned. He looked into hers, as if he was trying to see through her soul.

"W-well, I just wonder what you're planning to do after this," Misao stammered.

"I've got this internship as a CID investigator [that's the only thing I can think of as a suitable job for Aoshi-sama!] and after that I'll probably go overseas for studies," he told her matter-of-factly.

The whole room froze. Even the gaily chirping birds outside seemed to have grown quiet.

"WHAT! Shinomori Aoshi, why didn't you discuss that with us?" Mrs. Shinomori practically exploded, eyes popping out. One could almost see the steam coming out from her ears. She stormed from the kitchen where she had been preparing dinner--chopper swinging menacingly. She marched up to her son, who was still calm and unruffled. Her husband tried to restrain her, but when his attempts failed, managed to wrestle the chopper away from her. The others heaved a sigh of relief.

"I did."

"Yes--the part about the internship." She glared at him.

"I talked to you about going overseas to study long ago. You agreed then." He looked at her meaningfully.

"Let him then, Reiko. I'm planning to send Misao overseas after she finishes JC too," Mrs. Makimachi seemed to carry a silent eye conversation with Mrs. Shinomori. Somehow, Misao and Aoshi did not like the looks on their faces.

**Now, I know for sure that something's going on!** Misao shot Aoshi a fleeting look. **Does he? **His facial expression did not betray anything.

"Okay, where?" Mrs. Shinomori asked Aoshi. Misao held her breath.

"I haven't decided yet. Maybe to the U.S. But the internship is for half a year so I'm not sure whether they'll let me start late."

The blow suddenly hit Misao. Six months, and perhaps a little more. That was exactly how much time she had to win Aoshi's heart--or she might lose him forever. Her mind raced, fears surfacing about him loving and marrying another. She was **not** going allow that to happen! He was going without a scholarship--an advantage as he was not tied to a contract forcing him to come back to work as a civil servant. However, it also meant that he could stay overseas and never return.....and Misao might never see him again.

_I let you go once and didn't see you for eight years. If I don't do anything this time, I don't know if I'll see you again._ She looked at him, her eyes filled with a determined fire. **I'll make sure you fall in love if me if you haven't already, and soon too.**

But first, she had to plan carefully.

------------------------------------

Aoshi looked at Misao from the corner of his eyes. The girl's eyes blazed with resolution--he wondered what she was thinking about. He had seen that look when she was younger...usually it meant that she was cooking up a scheme of some kind. **I wonder what's cooking now...whatever it is, it's definitely going to be interesting.** Nevertheless, he had a feeling it had something to do with him. 

tbc...

Sorry for the short chapter! I've got writer's block for a moment--how is Misao going to get Aoshi without being overly flirtatious/seductive/OOC? This is the hardest part and I want it to be original...I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible. Anyway, thanks for R&R-ing! If you want to read my other fics, well, there's Internal Battle(if you like angst) and the romantic sort-of-suspense 'A Wedding Surprise' for the time being. 


	11. Sparks

Fate Beckons

Chapter 11: Sparks

Disclaimers apply. Song lyrics from 'Melodies of Life' (English version) by Shiratori Emiko 

"Misao, we haven't heard you play the piano for a long time. Come help us warm up our piano. Just any song!" Mrs. Shinomori practically begged. "Aoshi has 'given back' what he learnt to his teacher so...just provide us with entertainment!"

Obliging, Misao walked over to the piano and uncovered it. She sat down on the stool and laid her fingers on the keys, curling them over the starting chords of her favorite song. Gathering her breath, she began to play.

The music echoed throughout the flat. Misao poured her entire heart into it, cherishing a fragile hope that Aoshi would read her feelings from the song. Her fingers flew over the piano keys fluently, and with every note, she recalled the happy times she had with Aoshi. She did not think she had ever played with so much sentiment and emotions before, but thinking about Aoshi always made her emotional. She closed her eyes and drowned herself in the waves of music, memories flashing back like sunlight on water.

_Aoshi carrying her on his back in the water as she was so afraid of drowning even though it was a shallow pool and not the deep sea...that day, Misao--all of four years old, had been crying as she had hated water then. She had run away as far as her tiny legs could carry her, trying to escape from the adults who had tried in vain to coax her into the water. He ran after her and just barely managed to catch her and hoist her on his back. Amidst her complains and wails, he promised to act as her 'float' so that she would not drown. From that day on, she fell in love with him--and the water._

_The day she knew he was graduating from primary school and she would not get to see him everyday anymore, she cried her eyes out, latching on to him and not letting him out of her sight. Although his friends teased him mercilessly, he never scolded her or showed any irritation, although he must have been embarrassed--his friends were calling her his "little girlfriend". When she hugged him and sobbed that she would miss him, he smiled and told her that they would still see each other and he would always be "her Aoshi"._

His every wide grin, which she had not seen since their childhood...everything about him floated back into her mind, so far away yet so nearby.

_**In my dearest memories, I see you reaching out to me  
Though you're gone, I still believe that you can call out my name**_

Her confidante, playmate and best friend, and now, object of affection. But if she did not work fast enough, she would lose him for good. Was fate playing a trick on them, uniting them after so many years, only to tear them apart again? She pressed the keys down with as much strength as she could, and the music, on a crescendo, seemed to yell and scream like her heart.

_**Was it fate   
That brought us close and now leaves me behind?**_

A tear tenderly trailed down her cheeks, but she was too absorbed in the music that related so much to her heart to notice it. Everything in the room faded away, until she, Aoshi and the piano remained. She played for him, to him, offering her heart with the music.

As the music faded in finality, the world around Misao came back into focus. She realised that her cheeks were wet, and reached her hand up to some into contact with tears.

**Tears?** She had never cried while playing music before. But it was no mistake. She reached up once more to wipe them away. They could not see her cry!

There was applause. She turned her head to look at her miniature audience. Aoshi was staring at her with blank, unfathomable eyes again, but this time, there was something new. Warmth? Or love? She did not know.

"That was amazing! Miyako, you never told me how much Misao's playing has improved. What grade is she in now?" Turning to Misao, "Your school has MEP [Music Elective Programme] right? Are you in it?" 

"Well, not anymore...I was in it for half a term but got too busy for it...anyway, I thought that Home Economics would be more useful. Classical music isn't really my interest, "she replied [that goes for yours truly too].

"That's a pity, but I'm sure you'll make a good wife for someone someday," Mrs. Shinomori replied with a pointed look at Aoshi, whose eyes seemed to soften. Misao blushed and dropped her eyes, but in her mind, she knew that someday, she would want to be a good wife...to no one other than Aoshi.

--------------

The both of them were staring out of the window in Aoshi's room. The sun was setting, its rays tinting the sky a golden red. Cars honked on the road below, as people began to fill the streets, rushing home from work.

Aoshi noticed that Misao's spirits were like the setting sun...dipping lower and lower. Her eyes did not shine like they usually did--behaving like this was completely unlike her, and he did not like it.

"You...play with a lot of emotion," he complimented, hoping to lighten the mood. She smiled wistfully. "Only because I had to pour out my feelings somewhere...usually I don't play like that but just now, my heart just took over."

"Hey, if you ever need anyone to talk to, I'll always be here," he told her softly. She almost burst out in hysterical laughs.

"You? You're not going to be here forever. You're leaving us--leaving _me_--again." She looked at him, anger flushing her face. "You still can't forgive yourself for what happened to Hannya and the rest, what makes you think you can comfort me? Seeing you like this hurts me, Aoshi." She stopped to take a breath. 

Aoshi opened his mouth, but before he could get a word in, Misao continued, "You want to know what emotions I was pouring into that piece just now? Well, it was anger and hurt! Someone I've loved for more than ten years doesn't have a clue to my feelings and he's leaving soon!" She was practically yelling by then. "And then I'll probably never see him again--EVER!" She collapsed on her knees, sobbing. "He's still clueless...I've tried to let him know...he's just as cool and _icy_ as ever! He can't forgive himself and I can see that clearly, I wish I could help him but--" 

A pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her and the next thing she knew, she was sobbing into his broad, muscular chest.

"Maybe he knows after all," a low, thick voice told her. "But perhaps he doesn't want to hurt you by telling you straight to the face that he doesn't feel the same way."

With an angered cry, Misao pushed him away. "Well, he's wrong!" She strode out of the room. Aoshi did not follow. By the time she reached the leaving room where their parents were, her face was a cold mask, as void of feeling as Aoshi's.

"I just realise I've got a lot of homework to do. I guess I have to leave now." They looked at her strangely, before Mr. Shinomori broke the silence. "Okay then, be careful."

She walked out without a word, except for an emotionless, "Bye," not noticing the glare their mothers threw in the direction of Aoshi's room.

Meanwhile, Aoshi collapsed into his bed and closed his eyes, trying to shut out the waves of emotions that had flooded over him.

**Maybe I shouldn't have done that.** But it had been for the best, Misao deserved better than him, who could not even protect his friends.

Right?

tbc....

I have been busy...with the start of the 2nd school term (more homework) and all and house meetings for Sports Day...leaving me with the most excruciating headache! (Or was it algebra and quadratic equations? Almost all my friends wish that _a, b, x, y _ and all the other letters they love to use in algebra questions will just disappear for a while.) Thank goodness for this Good Friday public holiday! As always, thanks for your reviews, pls continue to C&C!


	12. Awakening

Fate Beckons

Chapter 12: Awakening

Disclaimers apply

-------

_"Aoshi...Aoshi!" He found himself standing in a garden, blooming flowers around him. Somehow, the place looked familiar...but it couldn't be in Singapore, could it? There were definitely no plum blossoms in any public garden..._

_The voice, too, was familiar. He turned around to see his four friends, smiling at him. He could not help but smile back._

_"It's good to see you again, Aoshi," Hannya told him._

_"Good to see you too, guys. But what's this place?" Aoshi looked around him, searching his mind for clues._

_"You won't be able to find it in your present memories...it's all in your past life, Aoshi...someday you'll find this place again...when you're truly happy..."_

_"But I am happy now."_

_"Are you truly happy, Aoshi? Don't lie to yourself. You found happiness in your past life only through love and forgiveness. Do you have that now? Without forgiving yourself, you can't be truly happy." Shikijou looked sad._

_"But I could have protected you guys from getting killed...I was too slow..."_

_"You can't control fate, Aoshi. I told you someone was waiting for you back home...your fate lies with her. Don't deny it, all these years she's always been on your mind. Whenever anyone mentioned her name, your eyes would suddenly soften. She's the one you need to protect now. Think it over," Hannya advised._

_"You know how she feels about you now. Be true to your heart and you'll find true happiness. You found it once in your past life...it's up to you to find it again. For once, let your heart lead you, Aoshi. We'll always watch over the both of you." A mist slowly engulfed his surroundings, fading everything away._

_Then, it was as if Aoshi was watching himself play his life out in a movie...only he wasn't sure if it was really himself. He wore a uniform(?) which was black with a dark blue lining, carrying two swords in one sheath--kodachi. It didn't take long for Aoshi to realize that the man was standing in the same surreal landscape that he had been in himself just a few moments before. And the young woman by his side...looked so much like Misao, except for the long braid._

_"Aoshi-sama, I guess they'll be happier here ne? With the sunlight shining over them..."_

_"Yes, they'll be much happier than in that dark forest." He turned to face her, and the warmth and softness in his eyes showed his true love for the girl. "Just like I'm happier with _your_ sunlight shining on me."_

_"Oh, Aoshi..." she practically flew into his arms, her eyes lighting up than never before._

_"With you, I've learnt to forgive and put the past behind me...my heart can no longer stay in darkness. Arigatou Misao, and aishiteru."_

_A shower of petals suddenly rained around them. Misao broke from his embrace to look up, and her eyes widened in wonder._

_"Look, Aoshi! It's a miracle, the flowers are blooming, although it's nearly winter!" It was true, the once nearly withering flowers were blooming into a rainbow of colours...just like the blossoming love between them._

_------------------------------------_

Dawn was just breaking, and if it were just like any other day, Misao would have hopped out of bed and be running around. But strangely, she seemed to be in no mood to do so.

Rubbing her eyes, she dragged herself to the bathroom to wash up. It didn't take long for her to notice the tell-tale red rims around her eyes. She had cried herself to sleep, for the second night in a row.

"Misao?" Her mother looked surprised to see her like that. "Why are your eyes so reddish?" All Misao wanted to do was to run to her mother and pour her heart out, like she used to when she was little and more...carefree and innocent. But it was different now, she was no longer a little girl and wanted to solve her problems by herself. Besides, her mother would probably just lecture her about falling in love when her O' levels were so near and blah blah blah...now was not the time.

"I slept really late last night...guess I drank too much coffee." Well, half a lie meant that it was still half true. Mrs. Makimachi did not look too convinced, but she nodded her head. "Try not to sleep too late. You need your full energy especially since this year is an important year."

Misao shuddered internally as she thought about the O' level exams, which were drawing nearer and nearer. Last year, she had still been more or less enjoying herself, all thought of the 'life-and-death' exams far away. This year, the impact was much more real--teachers were teaching faster than ever and people kept bringing it up. It made her...nervous to think of it, although it was months away.

It wasn't the only thing that made her nervous though. She had a competition that day, which was why she was awake so early on a weekend. Although it wasn't really a major national competition, her club was counting on her. It was her first inter-club as she had not been fast enough previously. With hard work, she had improved tremendously for her events. **I wonder what Aoshi would think...**

The thought of him sent a sharp stab of pain through her heart. The way he looked at her, she had almost thought that he did have some feelings for her. But he had denied it straight to her face. Yet, his actions contradicted his words...she still remembered his strong arms around her, holding her close to him, and the warmth and depth of his eyes as he looked at her.

**Aoshi, were those your true feelings you were telling me, or are you just hiding the truth?**

---------------------------

Hours went by too fast. Even as Misao did lap after lap, turn after turn of warm ups, nothing could hush the nervous beating of her heart. Joking with Sanosuke, Megumi and Yahiko made her feel only a little better. Coach Kenshin tried to calm all of them down by giving them advice and reminding them that winning was not everything, the main thing was to outdo their personal best. That too worked but only to a certain extent--during a competition, no matter what a person thought before, winning became the utmost importance

She stood at the reporting stand, doing callisthenic warm ups again. Her parents were at the spectators' stand, chatting with some other parents, and Kaoru would be there anytime soon, as she had promised--after all, both her best friend and younger brother would be competing! She did not know if the Shinomoris would come, although she was pretty sure her parents had already told them about it. And Aoshi...after that incident, it was unlikely that he would turn up unless his mother knocked him out and dragged him along.

"Yo, Weasel Girl!!" Three voices called in unison before bursting into laughter. Misao turned her head to see Xiao Xun and two of her ex-school teammates who had graduated from school (seniors!), Omasu and Okon, waving at her. She smiled and waved back. "Hi! I thought you were never coming!" Then, she suddenly realised what they had just called her and her eyes narrowed. 

"Don't you dare call me that again or I'll--!" She fisted her hands and punched the air in mock anger.

"Leng3 jing4 dian3 lah," [Chill out a little] Omasu grinned. "Don't be so ken chiong! [nervous, in a hurry]"

"Competitors for event number 6, 50 metres freestyle for Girls', please get ready," the commentator's voice announced.

"That's me, see you guys later," Misao called, jogging to the starting blocks and taking her place. She stripped away her jacket and secured her goggles and cap. Pressing her hands to her heart, she mouthed a silent prayer and stepped onto the starting block as the first 'Take your mark' whistle sounded.

Hurriedly, she threw a glance at the spectators' stand. Her parents, friends and the Shinomoris(!) minus Aoshi waved at her, setting her mind at ease, although she did hope Aoshi was there. Taking a deep breath, she shut all nervousness and fear out of her mind, throwing out the constant thought of "What if I false start and get DQed [disqualified]". She bent down and gripped the edge of the block.

The starting buzz sounded. As if she were jumping from a spring, Misao straightened her body and thrust herself through the air, stretching to go as far as possible. Then at the height of the thrust, she dropped her head in line with her body, her hands breaking into the water surface before her head followed.

Everything else happened in a blur. All Misao knew that she was going her full speed, stretching herself forward, reaching out for the end. The floor moved by in a blur, and she concentrated only on the staccato rhythm of her kicks and strokes. Then all of a sudden, her hand touched the wall. She stopped and looked around her.

The second swimmer pulled up a split second later. She had come in first. She could here her friends all cheering like crazy, and an overwhelming sense of elation filled her. It was the very first time she had come in first! But if only Aoshi were there, it would have been so much better...

Following the signal to clear the pool, Misao pulled herself out of the water. She had not realised how much her legs ached from all the strong kicking. Limping to the gallery where she had left her stuff, she did not see the puddle of water.

Her legs slipped out from under her, and she flailed about desperately, searching for a handle to hold on that was not there. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the impact of the hard floor.....

Then a pair of strong arms caught hold of her, breaking her floor. "Mi-chan, you should watch where you're going," a familiarly low voice told her. She opened her eyes to meet intense, bluish grey ones, staring at her with seemingly ironic warmth and concern.

"Aoshi....." So he had come after all. 

TBC.....

It's high time I change the name 'Xiao Xun' to a more familiar 'Kaoru", isn't it....? I'd better do it soon, many ppl have told me using "Xiao Xun" causes confusion.  
Couldn't resist the swimming thing although I know I probably should have used martial arts instead. Keep the reviews coming in( don't want to sound like a nag, but I love reading comments).


	13. Romance Budding

Fate Beckons

Chapter 13: Romance Budding

Disclaimers apply

" Aoshi..." Misao murmured again. He smiled at her--a genuine smile, unforced and true, his first in many years. There was something in his eyes that made her feel warm... something that chased away the draught of cold air on wet skin.

Wet skin! Suddenly, she remembered that she was only wearing a tight, skimpy swimsuit and was probably dripping all over Aoshi! Luckily, they were in the gallery, away from view from the spectators' stand. If her friends ever saw them like this, she would never hear the end of it! Blushing, she pressed her hand against the railing, supporting herself upright. Aoshi let go of her waist, but his eyes never left hers.

"You were terrific just now. Just like a dolphin..." His words made her turn even redder. She turned to get her jacket, but before she could get hold of it, Aoshi had taken it off the bench for her (he does have longer arms after all) and put it around her shoulders. She slipped her hands into the sleeves, feeling rather remorseful. The jacket could keep her warm but it could never beat having Aoshi's arms around her, just like just now. 

"Misao! Great job out there! We were screaming like crazy for you!" Megumi, Omasu and her other friends (minus Kaoru) suddenly ran up to her. "Of course we know you probably couldn't hear, but--" Megumi suddenly caught sight of Aoshi. "Who's he? Boyfriend ah?" she teased.

Omasu and Okon followed her gaze. "Aoshi?!" they both exclaimed at the same time

**They know each other? ** Misao was rather astonished at the discovery. She looked at the three of them curiously. As if he had read her thoughts, Aoshi replied, "They are my friends Shiro and Kuro's sisters. We met in Secondary school when I went over to Kuro's house to do a project." Misao did recall that Omasu and Okon were neighbours, which explained their closeness.

She realised all of a sudden that her best friend was not among the small groups of friends that had gathered around her.

"Hey, where's Kaoru?" She looked around frantically, her eyes flitting all over the place. Usually, Kaoru would have been the first one to run up to her, congratulate her and then tease her like crazy. However, she was nowhere in sight this time round.

"She's...um...a little preoccupied," Megumi giggled, fox ears popping up. Okon and Omasu sported knowing grins, which was enough for Misao to exclaim, "Come on, tell me what's up!"

"Your um...coach is very (cough, cough) charming," Okon indicated towards the spectators' stand. Misao's eyes widened as what her friends were hinting at dawned on her.

"This, I've got to see!" She slipped into her tongs and sprinted to the spectators' stand, the others not far behind.

The sight that greeted her made her mouth fall open. Kaoru and Kenshin--the most unlikely couple (at least to Misao) were engrossed in conversation, and their eyes were shining...they were like kindred spirits. 

And Misao just could not believe it.

Kaoru was signaling and signing away with her hands, probably trying to describe something. She and Kenshin both burst into laughter. And the more Misao observed them, the more they looked like a steady couple to her. She couldn't help but start hyperventilating nonstop, covering her mouth with her hands to muffle her frantic gasps for air.

"Never knew Ken-san could be so charming to anybody," Megumi cracked, coming up behind Misao. 

"It's the first time I've seen that _drill sergeant_ act so soft," Sano remarked, throwing a towel over his bare chest. He had just come out of the nearby changing room.

"Well, that's better than somebody who is _never_ soft!" Megumi snapped.

"Isn't that better than an ah kua [transsexual, also meaning sissy]?" Sano retorted.

"To a chauvinist hard-head like you, maybe! But we women love guys who can be soft and romantic at times, has that ever occurred to you? Or is your head too thick for that to go in?"

"Watch what you say, hu li jing. The pot's calling the kettle black."

"In other words, you admit that you're hard-headed." The two of them continued bickering, as was the norm for them.

The greatest surprise, however, was yet to come. Aoshi stepped up beside Misao, his eyes narrowing when he caught sight of the short, wiry man with the easily distinguishable flaming red hair. Kenshin, too, seemed to sense Aoshi's presence and broke off his conversation with Kaoru, turning to face them.

Tension built up as the two men continued their staring match. Even Sano and Megumi had fallen silent.

"Shinomori Aoshi. I never thought we'd meet again so soon." Kenshin's voice broke the silence.

"It surprises me that NCO Himura Kenshin, once an elite commando, has become a swimming coach," Aoshi replied smoothly. 

Kenshin nodded. "I no longer want that life where my orders and commands send young men closer to doom. Swimming has always been my passion, and I have made it my job to nurture our future national champions." He looked at Sano, Megumi and Misao, actually smiling. "What brings you here, by the way?"

Aoshi looked fondly at Misao, slipping his arm around her. "To support someone close to me," he said softly. A look of understanding filled Kenshin's eyes. "Aah, you're regaining your footing again," he murmured, so softly that Misao was able to hear it only due to her sharp ears. She couldn't help feeling rather curious about it. **When did Aoshi and Kenshin get to know each other? Oh, yeah, the army...but they don't seem to be too comfortable around each other...**

" Competitors for the next event, Under-14 Boys' 100 fly, please get ready." Kaoru gave an excited yelp: It was Yahiko's event! They all scrambled up to the first row of the bleachers, eagerly anticipating the much-publicized close competition that was about to take place. All the competitors in that event had astonishingly near-similar timings.

"...Lane 2, Li3 Bu4 Xing2(anyone catch the lame joke in that name?). Lane Three, Myoujin Yahiko..." The announcer's voice was drowned out by Misao and friends' loud yelling and catcalls. 

In the moments that followed, the spectators' stand exploded into an ever-growing roar. Megumi, Kaoru and Misao all cheered the loudest for Yahiko, although they knew he probably could not hear them through the water and the incessant cheering of the other spectators. Kenshin and Aoshi watched on, silently but intently, urging him on with their eyes and hearts although not with their voices. And Sano...well, he was supporting Yahiko in his own way--by threatening him with just about anything he could think of.

"Hey, little boy, if you don't get into the top three, I'll beat the f---in' s--t out of you!" He shouted, learning over the railing in front of him. Strangely, Yahiko seemed to hear him and glided forward in a sudden burst of speed to finish third, losing out on second place by only a few milliseconds. His supporters shrieked in victorious excitement, running to the gallery to congratulate him, as was the custom, as well as to grab a snack, for a 30 minute break followed.

"Kenshin and I are going for a short walk. We'll be back for the prize presentations, so don't worry," Aoshi reassured Misao. "And...I'd like to talk to you after everything's over. Alone." He bent over and placed a warm, loving kiss on her cheek( which turned a bright crimson shortly after), which put a mischievous smirk on Kaoru's face. As soon as Aoshi and Kenshin left, she turned to Misao and pouted in mock anger.

"Aren't I your best friend? How come got boyfriend also never tell me? [Why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend?]" 

It was too good a chance to resist. "Well, you and Kenshin talk until so qing1 mi4, I don't want to become dian4 deng1 pao4[light bulb] so I don't tell lah!" [Kenshin and you were talking so intimately that I did not want to be a third party by interrupting...]

Kaoru actually blushed. "Nah...I just got to know him when he asked if Yahiko and I were siblings. he's nice, actually...I almost did not believe he was your coach, he's so different from what you described!" Misao could almost see the hearts in Kaoru's eyes.

"Him, nice? Right now, maybe, but he's a big meanie as our coach! We're beginning to think he's got a split personality or something, he's so...polite and gentlemanly when he's not ordering us around trying to torture us to death." She rolled her eyes.

"Maybe so...but..." Kaoru slapped herself on the forehead. "What am I thinking? He said he's twenty-seven! That's eleven years older than me!" She opened her eyes to meet Misao's knowing grin. 

"Oh, so you do have certain hopes after all! Maybe I should get Aoshi to help..." Misao's eyes wandered past the entrance to the swimming pool.

**I wonder what Kenshin and Aoshi have to do with each other...**

tbc...

I don't think I expressed myself so clearly in this chapter...well, it certainly is a turning point though(gomen, K&K fans, I'm not that good a K&K writer, my friend Saiki Kyoko definitely outdoes me in that!)  
It is a fact that swimmers wear swimsuits a size smaller than normal for competitions, it helps to keep the body streamline by squeezing down certain areas (grin). About Kenshin, yeah, he's a mean coach but he's good at heart (and a real lady's man) like the un-AU un-OOC rurouni we all know. His tough training improves all his students in the end. (BTW, my coach does make me do 1500m fly, it's super tiring, but let's take it that Yahiko is a butterflier and so does really well for fly and can make it for 1800m!)

Am I overdoing the swimming thing?(hides face underwater.) Just a reminder: A&M are the main story, S& Megumi and K&K are just mini side stories.

Red House rules!(Okay, I'm really enthusiastic about Sports' Day tomorrow!)


	14. Undeniable

Fate Beckons

Chapter 14: Undeniable

Disclaimers apply. R&R! I do read your reviews, so just speak your hearts, I don't mind constructive criticism.

"It's been some time since we last talked," Kenshin commented, trying to strike up a conversation with the silent Aoshi.

"Ah. But are a few months that long?"

"Long enough for some major changes to take place." Kenshin looked at Aoshi meaningfully. "You and Misao are close to each other, aren't you?"

Aoshi's eyes softened. "Ah."

"It's rather obvious sometimes, the way you look at each other."

"Is that so? I never knew anyone noticed." Aoshi actually smiled slightly!

"When a person changes, one cannot help not noticing. It's good to know that you've pulled yourself together."

Aoshi nodded. "I've learnt to forgive...to let life go on." His eyes softened once more. **Thanks to Misao.** He suddenly recalled something.

"So, how did you end up as a coach?"

Kenshin's eyes bulged out. Aoshi blinked, wondering if it was just an illusion that the NCO who had tortured him through his Basic Military Training days had actually blushed.

"I used to train there when I was younger and came back to 'groom future talent', as they say. Actually, I enjoy this better." If he had not been right in front of Kenshin, Aoshi would have rolled his eyes. He had heard much of Misao's complaints about the torture her coach was putting her through. _I should have guessed...no one in his right mind would put even swimmers through so much torture. Back then we thought he was sadistic but I guess that's an understatement..._

"Don't look at me that way. It does them good. Your friend Beshimi toughened up quite a bit." Kenshin realised his mistake as Aoshi's eyes darkened slightly at the mention of Beshimi. Almost expecting his ex-trainee to slip into depression again, he was astonished to see the momentary sadness disappear as suddenly as it had appeared.

"Ah, that's true, he was showing off his newly-formed muscles," Aoshi recalled fondly. "Misao must have improved alot under you."

"I only helped to strengthen her and her stamina. The real credit goes to the person who taught her how to swim. She has nearly flawless strokes."

Aoshi looked away. "Actually, I taught her some of them. Hannya also taught her fly."

"The both of you must have been good teachers."

"No, she's a bright child." Before Aoshi knew it, the words were out of his mouth. "Was, I mean. She's an amazing young lady now," he quickly corrected. **If Misao heard that, some part of my body would be hurting like crazy now. **Either that or he'd be lying on a hospital bed swathed in bandages ruing the day he called Misao a 'child'.

"Don't be too sure. Sometimes she's a little 'blur' [ditzy, innocent, don't really know how to explain this]." Aoshi almost expected Misao to pop out and hit Kenshin on the head/throw something at him. "But she's a good girl. As you said, she's no longer a child, so cherish her."

"I'll keep that in mind." And Aoshi actually smiled as they walked back through the entrance of the swimming complex.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Misao was surrounded again, not exactly by friends this time, but by her parents and the Shinomoris, among others. She held the gold medal proudly in her hand--the medal she had worked so hard for and truly deserved.

Having so many people suddenly surrounding her made her a little shy, but with Aoshi's ever-comforting hand on her shoulder, she no longer felt as nervous as she had been just a few minutes ago, receiving her medal amid unstoppable camera flashes. Kaoru was winking at her and Mrs. Shinomori and Mrs. Makimachi were exchanging knowing looks, which Misao actually expected. **The two of them have something to do with Aoshi and me getting together...**

**"**If it's okay I'd like to take Misao out for a while," Aoshi informed Mrs. Makimachi. The way both the mothers' eyes lighted up was incomparable to anything.

"Sure, sure, go ahead--."

"Just don't come back too late or anything," Mr. Makimachi warned, shooting a look at his wife that stopped her from saying anything more to um...encourage certain things. [I'm a dirty minded person!] Nodding, Aoshi led Misao out of the complex, arm wrapped protectively around her waist.

"Relax, he can be trusted," they heard Mrs. Makimachi tell her husband as all voices behind them faded away.

"You know what? I thought you weren't coming just now," Misao told Aoshi as they settled themselves at a table in the coffee shop. "After what happened on Friday..." Her eyes took on a hurt look. "Why did you change your mind--I mean--" A soft look from Aoshi quietened her. [Oh man, I'm really going OOC here]

"That night...I was lying to you. I thought you would be better off without me. Then Hannya... Shikijou... Beshimi...Hyottoko...they came to me in my dreams and made me realise how much I really love you...and how we need each other." He paused for a moment. "They told me that my happiness lay with you, and I know now that it's true." His eyes took on a serious look. "Somehow I think there was something between us in our previous lives."

Misao's eyes widened in slight surprise. "What makes you think so?"

"Remember the day we first met each other again? You told me about this weird dream you had..."

"And it turned out that we had the same dream," she finished for him. Her determined eyes pierced into his.

"Last night I dreamt about a previous life again...you and me in a garden and flowers suddenly blossoming around us even though it was autumn..."

Misao's eyes glazed over. "I don't know why, but I've dreamt about that place ever since I was little." Almost every time she was particularly upset or felt that there was no hope, that heavenly place had appeared in her dreams, and being there renewed her joy and hope, giving her protection and warmth. It had seemed familiar but she knew she definitely had not been there physically.

It was a little strange that Aoshi had always been in that place with her.

She realised that ever since she had met Aoshi, she had often dreamt about being the same person--a ninja girl--in long ago Meiji Japan. The dreams had all been so vivid and familiar that she often woke up wondering if she actually had a split personality that did all that when she was asleep. 

All those dreams were peaceful and happy until one night when she was eight, when she dreamt that 'Aoshi-sama' and his four friends left her. Soon after that, she saw less and less of them. 

A more recent dream flooded her mind. The night before, she had been nervous about the competition and wondering if Aoshi would even want to see her again. As she fell asleep, Hannya appeared to her in her dreams and told her not to give up...that he would come back to her...among others, that had been her strongest encouragement to do her best. 

_Then promise me that you'll marry me in our next life...  
If fate allows us to meet again, I will…and I'll never leave you again...  
Just like you promised all those years ago?  
Yes. And we'll never be separated again..._

She stared, dazed, into Aoshi's mesmerizing eyes that brought back so many memories. "Aoshi-sama..." she murmured absentmindedly. 

_Grayish blue frozen eyes. She turned away, not bearing to look into them for fear that she would be hurt once more. he wouldn't give up, eyes burning into her face. A cold hand on her chin. He turned her head towards him again...gently, carefully. She stared in wonder as right before her, the ice melted into warmth._

"Misao? Are you okay?" Aoshi asked, concerned. She returned to earth. 

"Huh? Oh, yeah I'm fine. Sorry, I was just thinking about something..." 

"That place...Hannya said it was where we both found true happiness in our past lives." He looked at her meaningfully. "And he said we would find it again...in this life. I wonder if it's true." 

"Hannya never liked to lie," Misao reminded him. "Whenever he comforted me, or encouraged me, whatever he told me always came true. Last night, he told me you would come although I was unsure. And you did." 

Aoshi smiled. "Then no matter what happens, we must fight to stay together, if Fate wants this of us. Maybe I shouldn't go overseas to study after all." 

Misao was about to ask him if he was joking when she saw the dead serious look on his face. In a split second, she made her decision. 

"No! This concerns your future. Aoshi, you must go overseas...just promise me you'll come back. I'll always be here, waiting for you. Whether you like it or not." A courageous smile--Aoshi had never seen her look so mature and wise. 

"If fate wants us to end up together, then we will, no matter what happens. I want you to go overseas for further studies." She was so firm, so sure about it that Aoshi just wanted to hug her. He smiled again. 

"Most girls want to keep their boyfriends by their sides. You're the first person I've met who wants her boyfriend to go away," he teased good-naturedly. Misao flushed. 

"Wha-what I mean is--anou--more opportunities--" she stuttered. Aoshi's finger over her lips shushed her. 

" I understand. I'll go...and I promise to return to you, as soon as possible." And then he tilted her face up and kissed her deeply on the lips--the first kiss she ever had. 

tbc 

Hisashiburi ne minna san, long time no see. I just couldn't think of what exactly to put in this chapter. This fic is nearing its end in a few chapters...I've had so much fun writing this!  
Going overseas to study and coming back with a degree, especially from prestigious universities, does help a big deal in future careers, especially here, although a recent survey did find out that bosses here have not much preference for an overseas degree over a local one. It depends on what one wants to study actually, some courses are not available here. My teachers did mention that local universities mainly groom doctors, lawyers, architects...can't seem to imagine Aoshi as any of that! But apart from a policeman, Okashira or a spy (or even a martial arts teacher) I don't know what career Aoshi would fit into best.  
Of course who could forget that certain people don't come back? There are more opportunities overseas after all. I'm sure Misao knows that, but showing the maturity that is blossoming in her, she's realised that she cannot be selfish for this. It's a big turning point if and when Aoshi leaves, but somehow we know they'll stay together, although their love can't be too smooth. Being physically separated by thousands of kilometres is a major test for their love, and lets hope that they'll pass it!(Of course they will! What am I thinking?)  
I know this fic is rather tame, but I don't want it to turn into yet another soap opera/ Hong Kong serial (no offence intended). My mind is dirty enough to write limes and lemons but I don't have the age nor the courage to write them! Their relationship here is chaste, pure, true and strong. 

Btw, to readers of Saiki Kyoko's fics: She wants to tell you guys, "Gomen nasai, I'm really busy so I can't put up any new fics or chapters for a while." Same goes for this author here... 

_  
_


	15. Precious Time

Fate Beckons 

Chapter 15: Precious Time (Revised)

_Disclaimers apply. The lyrics used are excerpts from F4's 'Liu Xing Yu' (Meteor Rain)_

July....

Heart thumping wildly, she stared at the water that was barely one foot below her. This was it--all for her school. It was not her first competition, but she was nervous all the same. She knew she would not come in first--her rival Jean, a national swimmer, already had that position within her grasp. However, Misao knew she stood a chance for the second and third positions. It was either that or nothing.

_All for the school...for the team...for Aoshi..._

She had barely a month before he left for the United States. All those months since they had first been reunited had passed by in a whirlwind and she often wished that time would not go so fast. Still, it had been pure bliss, just like in the happy dreams she now had of them both--no more blood or nightmares.

But good things don't last, and that was one thing she regretted. 

After she told him she wanted him to further his studies and not suspend them because of her, she had frequently had second thoughts about it, mainly because she feared. Many couples had grown apart when separated by distance, if third parties had not already ruined their relationships. Aoshi did not seem like the type to be unfaithful, but Misao had no way of knowing if they, too would grow apart again. She did not want to lose him. After all, fate had meant for them to be together.

_If fate wants us to be together, then I shouldn't be afraid, because it will make sure that we stay together,_ she decided as she dived into the water. And she concentrated on nothing else except swimming, amid the cheers of the thousands of spectators on the stand.

She didn't have to think of him, for she knew he would be there with them, cheering for her all the time.

_Itsumademo...no matter what._

------------------------------------

August

The O' levels drew closer, now being only 3 months away. The prelims were even closer--just a month before they started. Even so, they did not matter to Misao that August 9th as she leaned against Aoshi's shoulder, staring at the darkening evening sky.

"It's a pity we could not get tickets this year..." Misao said woefully as she snuggled closer to Aoshi. It was a little strange, sitting on the field outside the National Stadium, but it was one of their last days together and she did not mind as long as she was close to him.

"But we can still see from here anyway...no crowds, no noise, just the two of us," Aoshi reminded her. "I'll try to come back at this time next year, maybe we'll get hold of tickets then."

"I always used to love the National Day Parades...I'd dream that I was one of the dancers in the Mass Display...or one of the Girl Guides or Singapore Girls marching in the parade...or a cheerleader or choir member.

"You loved everything about the parade when you were little--except for the fireworks. You'd cover your ears and scream like crazy, or even cry. A few times you hugged the person sitting closest to you tightly--which was always me."

"I didn't like the loud noise, but I got accustomed to it," Misao blushed. She gazed in awe at the sky, by now like a piece of diamond studded navy blue velvet.

"I've never seen so many stars in one place...look! At the corner over there, where the moon is! It's just like our flag isn't it? A crescent moon with five stars beside it..."

Aoshi smiled as he looked in the direction she indicated. " Nature's National Day gift to our country..." 

Suddenly, a rather loud crackling could be heard from a distance. Before they knew it, a golden shower exploded in the sky, followed by a metallic red flower blooming in the backdrop of stars.

Misao covered her ears--the loud roars of exploding fireworks hurt her ears. But it was all too beautiful to miss--showers of fireworks falling to earth...just like a rain of shooting stars.

Before she knew it, she was in Aoshi's arms and he was hugging her tightly to him.

**_wen rou de tian kong ying gai rang ni gan dong  
Wo zai ni shen pang wei ni bu zhi yi pian tian kong  
Bu zun ni nan guo, ti ni bai ping ji mo  
Meng xiang de zong liang quan bu dou jiao ge wo__  
Qian ni shou, gen zhe wo zou,  
Feng zai da na zhen yang  
Ni you le wo zai ye bu hui mi lu fang xiang_**

_**The loving sky should touch you  
I'm by your side, decorating the sky for you  
I won't let you be sad, I'll chase your loneliness away  
Let me bear the burden of your dreams  
Leading you by the hand,  
No matter how strong the wind grows  
When you have me, you'll never lose your way again**_

Aoshi did not want Misao to be lonely, he too had qualms about leaving, but everything had been settled, there was no turning back. He would be leaving the day after...for now he was content to hold her in his arms, and watch the rain of fireworks with her. Although they were not meteors, they were close enough.

He felt something wet on his shoulder, and realised that Misao was crying, her tears falling onto his shoulder just like the fireworks raining onto the ground. He had known that she had not wholeheartedly wanted him to go overseas, but had insisted on it, just like her unselfish self. Now she was finally releasing her fears in a stream of tears.

_**Pei ni qu kan liu xing yu luo zai zhe di qiu shang  
Rang ni de lei luo zai wo jian bang  
Rang ni xiang xin wo de ai zhi ken wei ni yong gan  
Ni hui gan jue xing fu de shuo zai**_

_**Accompanying you to watch the meteor rain fall onto this earth  
Let your tears fall onto my shoulders  
I want you to believe that my love can be brave for only you  
Then you'll see what happiness really is**_

The truth was that she was his first love, and he had a feeling she would be his only. He had always hated to see her upset, but now all he could do was to lend her his shoulder to cry on.

_When I come back after graduation, I'll make her happy. Then she'll know what happiness really is,_ he vowed silently.

**_Shang gan ruo tai duo, xin jiu gei wo bao hu  
Pi juan de yan huo wo dou hui ti ni gan zhou  
Can lan de yan yu zhi neng dian zui gan qing  
Ru guo wo chen mo ying wei wo zhen de ai ni_**

_**If you have too much sadness, then give me your heart to protect  
I'll chase away all the tired fireworks for you  
Glib, flowery words can only decorate feelings  
If I'm silent it's because I really love you**_

Aoshi had never liked talking a lot, doing so only when necessary. Therefore, he said what he meant and meant what he said. He had never believed in peppering his sentences with sweet talk--to him, they were insincere. Often on their dates, Misao had yelled at him for being silent, even though she knew that he was not characteristically talkative. The past months with her had really cheered him up and helped him get over their friends' deaths, and he had come to realise that he loved her so much that he could not bear to hurt her with insincere words. And so he kept silent.

_**Yu he yun jian jian san kai  
Sa xia yi pian wen nuan  
Wo yao fen xiang ni yan zhong de lei guang**_

_**The rain and clouds gradually part  
Releasing a piece of warmth  
I want to share the tears in your eyes**_

_**Pei ni qu kan liu xing yu luo zai zhe di qiu shang  
Rang ni de lei luo zai wo jian bang  
Rang ni xiang xin wo de ai zhi ken wei ni yong gan  
Ni hui gan jue xing fu de shuo zai**_

_**Accompanying you to watch the meteor rain fall onto this earth  
Let your tears fall onto my shoulders  
I want you to believe that my love can be brave for only you  
Then you'll see what happiness really is**_

Together, they watched the fireworks in silence, making the most of the time they had together, each knowing how precious time was and wishing it would all never end.

Tbc...

Notes: I thought this chapter before I changed it was kind of irrelevant to the story, so I've replaced it. Hope this is better, although I must admit I can't get F4's 'Liu Xing Yu' out of my head, hence the semi-songfic. I have plans to write another A&M songfic with this song, though with a more um...usual setting (19th century Kyoto)

To all Kyoko Saiki fic readers, if anyone is wondering why she hasn't put up any new chapters for 'Kokoro' for so long, well, here's what she asked me to tell you:

Saiki has run out of ideas for 'Kokoro' and is currently taking a **long** break but she is open for ideas and people can mail their suggestions to dreams_foreva@hotmail.com or review her fic "Kokoro' for ideas.  
She is also currently editing 2 WAFF fics. Be right back, minna! 

-------------------Kyoko Saiki 

Anyway, ja ne for now!

_**  
**_

_**  
**  
_

_  
_


	16. Unmei

Fate Beckons 

Chapter 16: Unmei

Disclaimers apply

_Time passes again..._

Misao stared at the exam booklet on the table. So soon...all too soon. It was hard to believe that 3 months had gone by so fast. 3 torturous months, knowing that Aoshi was just not simply a short bus or MRT ride away anymore--he was miles away, somewhere in the western United States.

They still kept contact, thank goodness for email and a few short phone calls. The last time they had spoken, he had told her that he was adjusting and it was getting busy ("But not too busy for my Mi-chan.") That was 2 weeks ago. He had also told her to work hard for her O' levels, so that she could join him in about 3 years. Teasingly, but with a note of seriousness.

She took a look around the room. It was a manifestation of silence. Some of her classmates' heads were bowed down in prayer; some were staring hard at the cover of the booklet, as if they would be able to see through it to the questions if they looked hard enough. Yet others were staring into blank space, or at the hands of the clock that seemed to move backwards. It was so quiet that even the sound of breathing could be heard. Someone clicked a pen again and again in impatience.

Misao looked at her watch again. 7.50 a.m. Still 10 minutes to go. To calm her nervous heart and comfort herself, she reminisced about the events that took place barely 3 months ago.

-----------

_August, Changi Airport._

_Mr. Shinomori patted his son on the back. "Take care of yourself."_

_Mrs. Shinomori's eyes were red with tears. "Call back often...don't eat out too much, and keep warm when it's cold."_

_Aoshi smiled slightly. "Promise, Okaasan. I'll definitely come back, don't worry." He turned to Misao and his features, as always, mellowed. "You too, take care of yourselves..." He was talking to all of them present--his parents and the Makimachis, but his eyes were transfixed on only Misao. Taking her hand, he asked, "May I talk to you alone?"_

_She nodded, and they walked to a quiet corner, away from the busy flow of people outside Customs. _

_He looked into her eyes. She was fighting back tears, but was threatening to lose control. He smiled, and it became more difficult to hold back those tears. His eyes grew sad, as if he could feel what she was feeling._

_Placing a hand on her cheek, Aoshi whispered, "I won't be leaving forever. I'll be back...I'll come back to you...we can still keep contact...I'll never forget you."_

_She wanted so much to reply, but all that came out were soft sobs. Her hand flew up to her mouth, trying to muffle them._

_All of a sudden, Aoshi pulled her into his arms, holding her close as if he never wanted to let go. "It's okay if you cry out loud...you'll feel better that way. Just let it all out...I'm here."_

_She could not control it anymore, her body shuddering against his solid, comforting frame. "I don't know why, I just can't bear to let you go...although I know it won't be forever..." she wept. He held her closer to him. _

_"Shh...I understand." He let go of her, and she realised with shock that his eyes were a little red too--he actually looked like he was about to cry, for the first time in his life!_

_Reaching into his trouser pocket, he pulled out a small chain with a pendant. "I saw it in a roadside stall in Chinatown, and thought of you at once. I'm sorry, it's no fancy gift, but--"_

_Misao took it from his hand. There was a character carved into the silver surface--"Yun4" (in Chinese) or "Un"(Japanese). _It means 'luck'.

_"I want you to have luck in your exams, and everything you do. But that's not it, it's not the whole pendant." He smiled and took out the second half, holding it up for her to read. "Ming4. Inochi. It means life!" She exclaimed, looking up at Aoshi for an explanation._

_"I might be getting into a dangerous job besides studying, but I thought this pendant would remind me that no matter what, I have to live, because I have to return to the person who hold the other half of the pendant. Put the two words together--what do you get?"_

_Realisation dawned on Misao. "Un--Mei. That means destiny and fate in Japanese!" _(The kanji for inochi, or 'life', is read 'mei' in compounds.) 

_"It's fitting isn't it?" Aoshi smiled at her. "We were fated to be together...I feel it strongly, especially because of all those dreams we both had. When I first met you when we were little, I thought you seemed familiar, but it wasn't until this year when we came together again that I realised why. We loved each other in a past life but could not stay together...and so made a vow that in death and our lives after that, we would always find, and love each other. Fate helped us find each other again in this life, and we must thank her for that. I want you always to remember what 'Ummei' means to us. Whenever you miss me, think of that, because someday, the two halves will certainly come together again, then Fate will have completed her job."_

_Tears were still streaming down Misao's face, but she knew that his words were true. She stared at her pendant again, a smile breaking through the tears._

_"When these two halves come together again, we'll be together forever..."_

-----------

Her school did not allow jewelry of any kind, but Misao still kept the chain with her, in her pocket in school, around her neck next to her heart other times. That day was so vivid, it was as if it had been just yesterday, but she realised with a sigh that 3 months had passed in the blink of an eye. At times, she had been lonely, waking up with nightmares of him leaving her forever, or of her past life, when he left her while she was asleep. But she would remember the pendant and Aoshi's words, and would feel better at once. The passionate goodbye kiss that they had shared after that was also still fresh on her lips.

"It's 8 o' clock. You may start now," the invigilator announced. The rustling of paper could be heard as students opened their booklets and took out their pens, ready to face any challenge.

Misao held the pendant to her heart and began to write furiously.

tbc...

A few more chapters to go...only a few, so please stay tuned. Comments please, I really would like to know how you readers find this story!


	17. Meet Me in Kyoto

Fate Beckons

Chapter 17: Meet Me in Kyoto

Disclaimers apply. What I have written about the deaths of Misao's grandfather and of Aoshi's parents are just what _could_ have happened. Information about the background of Misao and Aoshi mainly speculated from manga no 8 and the Kenshin Hiden and Kaden.

_ 3 years later_

Nineteen year old Misao made her way past the old style houses and people who were chatting to their companions, if not on their handphones. It was strange how strongly she felt an affinity with Kyoto the instant she stepped off the bus that had brought her here from the Osaka-Kansai airport. So familiar, yet so strange, but at least she knew it was due to her past life.

Idly, she speculated about her past life, wondering if she would ever know who Makimachi Misao of Meiji Japan was. For now, all she could gather about her past incarnation were from the dreams of her past life she still had occasionally.

The Meiji Misao had been a ninja--a member of the Onmitsu Oniwabanshuu or something. Born three years after the Bakumatsu started, her parents were killed soon after. Her grandfather was the Okashira, or head, of the group, and she was brought up as a ninja girl, equipped with just enough ninja skills to ensure her safety during those turbulent times. Any more and the Okashira as well as his followers feared that the little girl would be too deep in a life of violence.

Among the members of the Oniwabanshuu Misao grew up with was a boy ten years her senior, Shinomori Aoshi. She had been attracted to him at first sight, although just a toddler at that time. The usually sullen and aloof Aoshi, surprisingly, had a soft spot for her. He, too, had been orphaned at a young age. The okashira's best friend Kashiwazaki Nenji (Okina), had rescued him from a battle which left him orphaned during the start of the Bakumatsu (if I'm not wrong, 1860-1899). Seeing potential in the boy, Kashiwazaki had taken him to Kyoto to be trained as a ninja. Aoshi proved to be a prodigy, mastering the skills of a ninja faster and better than any of his peers. Many stood in awe of him.

Tragedy struck when Misao was five. Her grandfather, her last blood relative, was killed in the Boshin War. Shortly after, the new Okashira, Aoshi, regretful that the Edo Oniwabanshuu had no chance to fight as the shogun had welcomed the revolution, traveled around Japan with his followers, taking Misao with him. Three years later, when they returned to Kyoto, there were only four followers left--Hannya, Shikijou, Beshimi and Hyottoko. All the rest had left to lead better, more peaceful lives. As Tokyo, the new capital, was wrought with instability, the four of them decided to go there, leaving little Misao with Okina for her own safety.

One of Misao's most vivid dreams of that past life was of calling out for her Aoshi-sama and his friends, then waking up and realising that they had left her. Come to think of it, her past and present lives were similar in some ways, but had their differences as well. In both lives, she had been separated from Aoshi for around eight years; but while the Meiji Misao had gone in search for him and his friends, fate had reunited the present Misao and him. Also, the deaths of Hannya, Shikijou, Beshimi and Hyottoko had been kept from her in both lives although she soon found out, but at least Aoshi had not become a cold blooded killer searching for strength at any cost in this life! When she thought more about it, she felt lucky to be living in the peaceful present, and not the turmoil of Bakumatsu and Meiji Japan. 

She had flamboyant dreams about the adventures she had had with Aoshi and their friends, especially the Kenshin Gumi. The battle against Shishio Makoto and the Juppon Gatana to protect Kyoto...bringing Yukishiro Tomoe's diary to Tokyo to return Enishi to his senses...although they were exciting, if they had all happened again in this life, she did not think she would be able to take it. Although they were incarnations of each other, she and the Meiji Misao still had their differences amid the similarities. They had been brought up in different times, and in different places.

She smiled as she thought about the dreams she had about her life after the Enishi episode. On returning to Kyoto, her relationship with Aoshi had bloomed and advanced quickly. She had finally brought the smiles to his face, and with it came peace and happiness. As he settled into life during the peaceful Meiji era and left his violent, bloodstained past behind, their love grew deeper and they were even engaged to be married.

Misao was always overcome by a sense of euphoria whenever she woke up from one of those happy dreams. She hoped that she and Aoshi would be as blissful and loving as they had been in their past lives. However, she hoped that their futures would not follow the path that their past lives had taken. Just when they thought they could live in eternal joy and peace, fortune turned against them. Someone who bore a personal grudge against the Oniwabanshuu had infiltrated the Oniwabanshuu and joined them as someone they had thought was a loyal member. He influenced a few of the newer members to turn against their leaders, in hope that it would destroy the group. As more and more loyal members were killed, the remaining members scattered into hiding under the orders of the co-Okashiras, Aoshi and his fiancee Misao. But the identity of the traitor was still unknown, and he managed to slip a lethal, slow acting poison into the water supply.

The Okashiras managed to unmask the traitor, but not before he led them into a trap--right into an ambush by a rival group. Together, Misao and Aoshi single handedly managed to defeat the enemy, including the traitor, albeit with much difficulty. However, in the end, their heavy wounds and the lethal poison took effect, ending their lives. But not before they made an everlasting vow...in an eternal embrace.

_"If fate allows us to meet again, I will…and I'll never leave you again."_

_"Just like you promised all those years ago?"_

_"Yes. And we'll never be separated again."_

The words still rang clear in her mind, and she smiled as she pressed the pendant that Aoshi had given her that day three years ago to her heart.

Un. Luck. Inochi. Life. Unmei. Destiny.

True to its meaning, the pendant had given her luck, or so she liked to believe. Having passed her O Levels with flying colours and a string of A1s, she had made it to a top junior college, and aced her A levels as well. The future shone bright and clear, like an airport runway at night. And she was an airplane, ready to take off. (Sounds stupid, I know, but to think of it, it is kind of true ne?)

Aoshi...they were as much in love as before. She smiled brightly as she recalled her reason for coming to Kyoto. A few times during her holidays, she had flown to the States to visit him, and they still kept up correspondence. He was now supposed to be in Tokyo University for an exchange programme, but two weeks ago, she had received a mysterious email from him.

"Meet me in Kyoto."

Following those five words were directions to what was seemingly a garden near a restaurant.

A restaurant called the Aoiya. 

She did not know what he had in mind but somehow she had a feeling it was going to be pleasant.

Looking at the map, she realised she was nearing her destination. The sakuras were in full bloom, making the streets a picturesque sight. Weaving past the pink blossom crowned trees, she stopped at the sight if a building so familiar to her, as if it had been her home in a previous life.

And then she saw him.

tbc... 


	18. Eienni (Forever)

Fate Beckons

Chapter 18: Eienni(Forever)

Disclaimers apply

He stood under a tree in the garden, waiting for her under its shadow. A sakura tree, she guessed--they were all over the park. But that one was different, it seemed a little late in blooming. Its buds still had not opened into the splendid pale pink of its neighbours.

One thing was for sure though--the garden had enough sunshine to last through the darkest winter, if there was some way to store sunlight. Its only shadowy place was under the tree that Aoshi was standing under right at that moment--just enough shade to keep a person--or two--cool on a hot day.

He looked so lost, as if looking for someone...but not really looking at the same time. She wondered what he was thinking about--and what his reaction would be if she just happened to 'materialize' behind him and cover his eyes. Giggling at the idea,--would his eyes actually pop up like in the manga she loved reading? Would he 'oro' like her ex-coach Kenshin?--she slipped behind a nearby bush, intending to put her newest 'plan' into practice.

As he came closer into view, Misao noticed that his hair was a little longer than before. Apart from that, nothing else had changed, at least externally. He wore a black shirt with blue linings and black pants.

_Just like Aoshi to wear black,_ she thought, clamping a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. _I hope his heart hasn't changed...what did he ask me here for anyway? I know him--it's definitely not just to see the sakura...and why this place of all? Though it does look kind of familiar...but he doesn't want to break up, does he?_

She quickly banished the very thought from her mind. This place was too beautiful for a breakup. Besides, he had been fiddling with something around his neck--the pendant?--the last time she had looked at him. _He should still be looking at it now..._she looked up to reassure herself...

And realised that he was gone.

"What the--?" the next thing she knew, a hand clamped over her mouth. Another strong, muscular arm wrapped itself around her waist and pulled her against a taut, firm frame.

"Don't think I don't know you what you were planning," a familiarly deep voice whispered. "Still as mischievous as ever, eh, Misao?" Dragging her into the garden, he let go and turned her around.

The love of his life was fuming at him, in her adorable way. Just like before..._I hope her heart hasn't changed. Especially since I'm banking on it to get my answer._

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING YOU NEARLY SCARED ME TO DEATH!!!" She yelled so loudly that the chirping birds on the trees fluttered away out of fear. And was that an echo coming from the surrounding Hiei mountains?

His hand clamped over her mouth again. "Shh...the whole world's going to hear. They're the ones who are going to be scared to death...and you need to be more alert," he teased. She mock glared at him, but the corners of her lips turned up in a smile, and she followed what her heart had told her to do.

She flung herself into his arms, and he held her there in a tight embrace. 

"I've really missed you..."

"So have I, my Mi-chan...so have I..." he smiled softly as he ran his fingers through her hair...just like before.

They stayed that way for a while before finally pulling apart. Then, she looked at him almost accusingly.

"So...what did you ask me here for? Aren't you supposed to be in Tokyo, studying?" That cute mock glare again--he was beginning to wonder how he could ever have resisted her.

"We-ell, a few months ago I came here for a short vacation..."

"And?"

"I saw this place and thought it was beautiful with all those flowers so..."

"So what?"

Aoshi took a deep breath. He wondered what her reaction would be--would she laugh, scream or cry?

"I thought this would be the best place to propose to you."

She stumbled back and stared at him disbelievingly. "Liar."

"I'm serious." He took a step forward. "Makimachi Misao, will you marry me? It doesn't have to be now but I still want to know."

"You're still a liar. A few months ago, it would have been winter. There wouldn't have been many flowers."

"Hey, that isn't the main point!" His eyes softened. "I'd really like you to think it over..." He took a deep breath. "I want to spend the rest of my life wi--"

He was abruptly interrupted when Misao giggled and gave him a quick, firm kiss on the lips.

"You don't have to be so serious! I heard that." Misao was almost bursting with delight, although she tried her best not to show too much of it. The very first time he had (sort of) proposed to her (if you call "_I thought this would be the best place to propose to you"_ a proposal), she had already known what her answer would be. But she wasn't going to let him be satisfied so easily. Not with his _so unromantic_ way of proposing!

He smiled. "Any answer?"

"You don't sound sincere enough! I'm not going to answer until I'm convinced you're serious about it." She turned, as if to walk away, but in actual fact it was to hide her face that had been twisted by her efforts trying to straighten it into a cold 'mask' that would hide her growing smile. [And I think that's just about the longest sentence I've ever written which even I can hardly make head or tail of.]

"Wait!" he called after her. She didn't look back--she was trying to hard not to laugh! He dashed after her--it took only a few strides due to his _much_ longer legs. Grabbing her firmly but gently on the shoulders, he turned her around to face him.

Luckily for her (but not so much for him), she had managed to straighten her face in a sudden burst of self-control--a rather tough job for her.

"Look at me." She did--into those serious, intense greyish-blue eyes she had missed so much ever since their separation. Once, a few years ago, she had felt that they were cold and unfathomable, hiding many secrets in their depths. They now emitted love, warmth and last but not least, sincerity.

The next thing she knew, he was down on his knees.

"Remember the chain I gave you before I left Singapore?" he asked? She nodded, taking the pendant out from underneath her collar. 

"Whenever I miss you, I look at it and it comforts me," she told him. He smiled.

"I told you that when our halves of the pendant come together again, we'll be together forever. I want that to happen--not now if you're not ready, but somewhere in the near future." He took a deep breath. "Makimachi Misao, will you marry me?"

He looked so serious that Misao forgot all about her plan to drag him around in circles before finally giving him an answer. She kneeled down so that she was on the same level as him, tears of happiness welling up in her eyes.

"Yes," she whispered, hugging him. "Yes, I will."

Overjoyed, he tilted her head up to him and lowered his lips to hers.Both felt as if they were on the peak of exhilaration as they liplocked, each not wanting to stop or let go. 

Somehow, the pendants they were both wearing around their necks came together as they held each other closer. At that moment, a radiant light shone over the both of them...over the garden.

The late-blooming sakura tree glowed goldenly, suddenly blossoming into a rush of pale pink and white, emanating a sweet scent. A gentle gust of wind blew a shower of fresh petals down on the two lovers, sprinkling them with hope and blessing...

...Just like confetti sprinkled all over a bride on a wedding day.

It was as if earth had become heaven, just for them.

All of a sudden, Misao found herself pinned under Aoshi. They had gotten a little carried away, but that was not the first thing she noticed.

What she noticed was that the wind had parted the foliage of a nearby bush, revealing a stone with some Japanese characters carved on it.

"Look, Aoshi!" She pointed. He looked in the direction she indicated, and got up to explore further. She followed behind.

"There are three others." He brushed the dust off the stones.

"Hannya, Shikijou, Beshimi, Hyottoko. Meiji 11." He smiled. "That's where we buried them in our past lives, wasn't it?"

She nodded, remembering a dream. "And this is where we confessed our love for each other too...You know what, Aoshi? I felt their presences just now...maybe this is why."

"Somehow, I have a feeling all of just now's happenings were because of them," Aoshi grinned. "They were the ones who first brought me to my senses about my feelings for you. And they told me, in a dream, that I would find my happiness here...and so I have. The fact that we're together is partly due to them."

"Hannya, Shikijou, Beshimi, Hyottoko...they've always taken care of me, even in our past lives. I guess they're the ones who brought us together again."

"The next time we return here, I intend to bury a piece of each of them here...like the lighter that Hyottoko loved to play with so much, or Hannya's mask...just in memory. For now, may they rest in peace."

He stood up, and so did Misao. Walking arms around each other, they treaded out of the park, towards a new life of happiness.

Happiness that Fate intended for them.

tbc...

Actually, I'm also wondering what will happen if Aoshi and Misao went back into the forest where they were murdered in their past life, but never mind about that...or should I really write a chapter on that?


	19. Epilogue--Eien no Ai (Forever Love)

Fate Beckons

Chapter 19(Epilogue): Eien no Ai (Forever Love)

5 years on

Haru (Spring)

She smiled as she watched the petals fall from the flowers of the sakura tree outside her window. Spring again...but this time it would be different. She wondered what the surprise--or not-so-surprise since she was expecting it--would be this time.

5 years ago, Aoshi had proposed. It was three years later that they married, among the lanterns of summer on the 7th day of the 7th month.

"_Qi1 yue4 qi1 ri4 chang2 sheng1 dian4  
Ye4 zhong1 wu2 ren2 si1 yu3 shi2  
Zai4 tian1 yuan4 zuo4 bi2 yi4 niao3  
Zai4 di4 yuan4 zuo4 lian2 li3 zhi1..."_

_(On the seventh day of the seventh month, in the Palace of Longevity  
In the middle of the night when there are no whispers  
In the sky, may we be birds that fly wing to wing  
On earth, to be intertwining branches...)_

On that day in the sky, as legend went, the Weaving Maid would be reunited with the Cowherd Boy again after a year's separation. Aoshi and Misao had deemed it to be a suitable wedding date, as then would their love be as eternal as that of the Weaving Maid and Cowherd Boy...or as the famous Tang Dynasty beauty Yang Guifei promised the Emperor in a dream in the famous poem '_Chang2 Hen4 Ge1_' (_Song of Enduring Sorrow_)

_Song of Enduring Sorrow._ It had been almost a decade since she had first learnt it, but those four lines that vowed of unending love had always remained in Misao's mind through all those years. It was fitting that she and Aoshi had actually made it part of their wedding vows.

Staying up together through the night, they saw the Weaver and the Cowherd constellations [Don't remember the actual names!] of stars meet across the Milky Way to be reunited once more. At that moment, they too came together in union...the _Unmei_ pendants glowing in hope for the future. Past, present and future combined with only one aim--of everlasting love through eternity.

The previous spring, after Aoshi had graduated, they moved to Kyoto where they had always felt an affinity with. The love had started there--it would continue there too. The moment everything had been settled, they had rushed to the garden, where another promise waited to be kept. 

Hannya's mask, the diary Shikijou loved writing in, Hyottoko's favourite lighter, the army uniform Beshimi had taken so much pride in...all lay under the earth in memory of the four beloved friends, both of the past life and the present. The sun had never stopped shining on the garden even on the rainiest days.

Misao smiled as she recalled the past years. _If in my previous life that tragedy hadn't happened, perhaps we would have been as happy, or even happier...if that were possible._ But Fate, as if making up for lost time, had again given them another blessing. Misao smiled as she patted her gently rounded belly, remembering the exhilarated look Aoshi had on his normally emotionless face when they had discovered she was with child. She was surprised that he had not fainted there and then, but knowing Aoshi, even if he was about to faint he would keep himself from doing so!

Had it really been 8 years since their reunion? Time had passed in a blur of happiness...sometimes she still could not believe that it wasn't just a blissful dream, but reality. 

Smiling, she closed her eyes, reminiscing about the past. How Aoshi had tilted her head up to meet his eyes, to watch their coldness melt into burning passion and love...the passionate wedding night that could still make her blush...

Looking into the mirror nearby, she saw a smiling young woman, with eyes shining full of contentment, cheeks red and rosy. Earlier that morning, Aoshi had looked at her fondly and remarked, "You've grown more beautiful, my little wife." She had hit him on the shoulder in jest--in Mandarin, little wife, or 'xiao lao po', means 'mistress', or concubine!

"Misao...Misao..." a familiar voice called. Then, a flash from the mirror. Misao's eyes widened as her reflection changed into that of a young woman with the same face, but with hair in a braid instead of in a loose knot. It was the face she had so often seen whenever she looked into the mirror in her dreams of the past.

"Hisashiburi ne," [It's been a long time hasn't it], the reflection asked, smiling albeit sad eyes. The voice sounded far away, as if it were coming from another dimension.

"Hai," Misao replied. It was true that she no longer dreamt of the past but instead of the future ever since the day Aoshi proposed to her in the garden. Had it really been 5 years since then?

"I'd like to thank you for finding happiness...the happiness we never found in our past life." The reflection began to fade.

"Where are you going?" Misao asked.

"Nowhere...I'm in you. We're one and the same person, in different times..." At last, even the voice faded away, leaving Misao to stare in wonder.

A kick in her belly. The look of wonder in Misao's eyes changed into that of surprise and excitement. The first time she felt any movement from the little one within! She had to tell Aoshi--he had made her promise to tell him if she felt the baby move.

Hand on her waist, she walked to the doorway and called out happily. "Aoshi!"

-----

A few months later...

Aoshi held his newborn son in his arms fondly. Barely a day old, the infant was a livewire, kicking around--hard. Somehow, he still couldn't believe that the child was a part of him, but it obviously was, right down to the greyish blue eyes.

"You're hogging him!" Misao, still a little tired, pouted. Smiling, Aoshi handed the child back to her.

"What should we name him?" she asked, cuddling the precious bundle. Aoshi moved closer, looking intently at his face.

"Hmmm...something that sounds okay in both Japanese and Mandarin..." Aoshi frowned for a while.

"I'd like him to be brave, how about "Yuuki"? Misao asked.

"Sounds good. Yuuki it will be." The exhilaration that washed over Aoshi was unequalled by anything in his life. That very moment he had heard the child's first cries, all his previous victories and happy moments became nothing compared to what he felt right then...except maybe that day, five years ago, in the garden.

_My happiness is complete,_ he thought, smiling as he bent over the two most important people in his life.

-------------------

A month later

"Say 'daddy'! Come on!" Aoshi held his little son up to eye level and mock glared at him. This little...bundle of joy (or rather mischief) had lightened him up considerably over the past month.

Red eggs lay on the table nearby. Somehow, Aoshi's maternal grandmother still insisted on carrying on with tradition--hence the red eggs to celebrate the child's first month.

Misao pouted at Aoshi. "He's only a month old--he's not going to say anything yet!" she chided.

"Well, he's got to start early."

"Have it your way...just don't be disappointed." 

Little Yuuki gurgled in agreement. Misao's eyes softened, and she slipped the "Un" pendant over her head. Aoshi looked at her questioningly.

"Remember what you told me when you gave me this?" she asked. Aoshi nodded--how could he forget?

_I want you always to remember what 'Ummei' means to us. Whenever you miss me, think of that, because someday, the two halves will certainly come together again, then Fate will have completed her job._

"I think fate more or less has...with Yuuki. He symbolizes the sealing of our fate, in a way," she continued. And Aoshi realised how true the words were.

"From now, the pendants will come together again...it will protect him and remind him of how his parents came together." He slipped his own pendant away from the chain, and onto Misao's. The two halves clicked together, and then, as if it were a miracle, fused together, side by side to form a whole. _Unmei.Just like it was always meant to be...and nothing could separate them again..._

Life comes and goes, but an everlasting love will withstand its tribulations, overcoming the odds to fulfill Fate...for eternity.

Owari

Notes: Finally! I hope this finale wasn't too cheesy or corny or anything. Actually I finished this long ago but did some finetuning--I told myself, this final chapter has to be the best, and I hope it is. As to why I didn't post this earlier, schoolwork and training has taken up a lot of time so I'm sorry to all my readers who were just aching for the last chapter!  
Thanks for reading and reviewing, and for your support!


End file.
